Songs of the Stars
by MusicKeeper
Summary: A series of oneshots based off of some of my favorite songs. Note: these are NOT songfics. Just saying. [Angie just thought the Doctor and Clara looked rather adorable goofing around with each other. What was the harm in taking a picture?]
1. Jealous

**A/N: A long time ago (I believe it was just after I started writing fanfiction), I discovered that I write better when I listen to music. However, it did not occur to me until a couple of weeks ago that whatever song I'm listening to needs to fit the subject of whatever I'm writing, or I'm going to sit there with a blank screen staring back at me while I sing the words in my head. Examples: Sad scene (such as a character death), listen to either a sad song from the original score or something similiar to Holding On and Letting Go by Ross Copperman. Scene of betrayal, listen to Honesty by Billy Joel or something similiar. **

**Hopefully, by now you've gotten the pattern. So here's how it's going down. I have made a playlist of random songs on Spotify (I mean random. The thing ranges from "Best Friend" by Toy-Box to "Love Don't Die" by The Fray.) that, at the moment, reaches about 103 songs. I'm going to put the playlist on shuffle and play whatever song comes up first on repeat. I will write a Doctor Who oneshot based on the theme of the song. And then I will post it.**

**This will happen daily. **

**Depending on how popular this story gets, I may expand the length. Right now, I'm aiming for 25 days. And feel free to put requests in your reviews! I need some new music to listen to anyway. Toy-Box gets really embarrassing after a while. :/**

**That is all. Enjoy! :)**

* * *

_"I get a shiver when I see her with those other guys, wearing the jacket I bought, I can't help but lose my temper and I don't know why."_

It was an absolutely lovely fall day somewhere in Virginia, and the Doctor and Clara had stumbled upon a small outdoor market. At Clara's request, the Doctor agreed to spend some time there, feeling that nothing could possibly go wrong.

The first stand the two approached was selling apples. Clara was glad to see that the man selling them offered samples and happily accepted a slice of a gala apple. She popped it into her mouth, chewed, and closed her eyes. "Mmm," she hummed appreciatively. She finished her treat and turned to the Doctor. "Doctor, these are delicious. You _have _to try one."

The Doctor wrinkled his nose. "No, I don't," he contradicted. "Apples are rubbish."

"Oi!" Clara complained, putting on an indignant expression.

The Doctor just grinned goofily and pulled Clara along to the next stall, where he had spotted an array of interesting hats. Clara stood patiently while he browsed the selection, his smile as bright as a child's on Christmas morning. He got a little too excited when he found a fez and accidentally knocked over a display. Clara rolled her eyes and came over to help as the Doctor flailed his arms and apologized profusely. She had to yank him to a kneeling position to get him to finish helping her pick up the fallen headgear.

A few more apologies to the stall owner later, Clara and the Doctor were tromping through the fallen leaves to another stall, this one filled with beautiful flowers for sale. Clara shivered against the brisk fall wind and folded her arms over her chest to keep warm. The Doctor couldn't help but notice her discomfort. "Cold?" he asked her, concerned.

"No, not really," she answered him, lowering her arms to convince him.

The Doctor studied her for a moment, then removed his jacket and wrapped it around Clara's shoulders. She looked up at him and tried to give it back. "Doctor, aren't you chilly?"

The Doctor gently pushed her hands back and helped Clara into the jacket. "Nah," he promised. "You keep it for a while."

Clara snuggled into the jacket. "Thank you," she said sincerely, smiling at him before skipping off toward the flower stall. The Doctor sighed and smiled at his Clara as he followed.

Wait. _His _Clara? Where'd that come from?

Shrugging off his _absurd _\- no, really! Clara was not _his. _She was not property! - thoughts, the Doctor arrived just in time to find Clara cooing over some purple chrysanthemums she'd found. "These will look wonderful next to pumpkins, I think," she said. At first, the Doctor thought she was thinking out loud. However, when she shifted her position, he saw a man standing behind the table of flowers.

A young, good looking man.

And by Clara's lighthearted tone, hair flips and small giggles between her words, the Doctor would say she was _flirting. _

"They'll look even better next to your eyes," the man replied playfully, to which Clara ducked her head. A slight tinge of pink colored her face.

And the man was flirting back!

The Doctor frowned. He needed to send a clear message to this man who Clara _really _belonged to. And there he went again, comparing her to something he could stake a claim on. But hadn't he already staked a claim on her? By taking her as his companion, hadn't he assumed the responsibility of keeping her protected from aliens and monsters and perfectly innocent - but not entirely innocent - flower sellers? And she was even wearing his jacket, for Gallifrey's sake! That should've sent off a warning bell in the man's head!

Taking a deep breath to control his rage at the audacity of this man, the Doctor wrapped his arms around Clara from behind. "Clara!" he said loudly, hugging her tightly. Clara stumbled in surprise but soon regained her balance, thanks to his hold on her.

The man was startled, and the Doctor could see the disappointment in his eyes. He had to fight to control his smirk. "This your boyfriend, then?" the man asked.

Before Clara could answer, the Doctor spun her around, hugged her close, and pressed his lips to hers. It wasn't a long kiss, but it was hopefully enough to tell the man to back off.

Clara blinked in surprise, and her face had gotten several shades pinker. She cleared her throat awkwardly, looking down at her shoes. The Doctor placed a hand around her shoulders. "Well, would you look at the time! We'd best be off now," he called to the man cheerfully as he guided Clara away from the stall.

When they were out of earshot and almost to the TARDIS, Clara murmured, "I thought you said you weren't my boyfriend."

"Well, I am now," the Doctor replied. They reached the TARDIS, and he fished in his pocket for the key.

Clara leaned against the TARDIS, smirking at him. "I'm okay with that," she said.

The Doctor held the door open for Clara, then went inside after her. "Well," he said as he raced to the console, flipping switches and pushing buttons, "If you want to be my girlfriend, there will have to be a few rules."

"Rules!?" Clara repeated, meeting the Doctor on the other side of the room. "Such as?"

The Doctor grinned, leaned down and lightly poked the end of her nose with his finger. "Such as no flirting with other men while wearing my jacket."

* * *

**Well, there you go. The song is "Jealous (I Ain't With It)" by Chromeo. I'm guessing none of you have ever heard that artist before. If you're a fan of peppy dance songs, go check 'em out! They get stuck in your head pretty easily, though, so beware. :P**

**If you liked it, hated it, or wanted to light it up and watch it burn, review and let me know! Now, to go get "Best Friend" out of my head...**


	2. Best Friend

**Well, it seems that some are on board with this story, which makes me happy. However, Villanous TARDIS, I'm sorry to hear that my writing of the Doctor and Clara in the previous chapter was not satisfactory. I will try to do better next time. CaylithTheGolden, your request is on its way. I'll probably post it on Tuesday or Wednesday, so hang in there! :)**

**Anyway, out of 105 songs, guess which song came up when I put my playlist on shuffle?**

**The very one I was attempting (in vain) to remove from my brain, "Best Friend" by Toy-Box. **

***sigh* That's okay, though. Taylor Swift (excuse me, non-Swifties) is soon to release a new album, and "Out of the Woods" was released a few days ago! Oh my Lords of Gallifrey, if you haven't listened to it, go search it up. Now. This song is more important than my fanfic, 'kay? Go listen. I'll wait. **

**Have you listened yet? Good. Now to continue.**

**And guess what else has happened? By the way, you can blame katierosefun if it shows up in my writing. I've gone and started watching BBC's Merlin. I'm on Season 2 as we speak.**

**So yeah. Fandoms, music (another Coldplay album! And 1989!), and various other things make up what we call the real world. Yes, peoples, it exists. I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry. **

**Maybe the story will help?**

* * *

_"He's my best friend, best of all best friends, do you have a best friend, too?"_

The bell on the door rang cheerily as Amy Pond walked into the coffee shop, a laptop crammed under her arm. She'd taken up writing as a hobby, and she was hoping to finish a short story she'd been working on for a while. Coffee kept her head buzzing with ideas.

"The usual, Amy?" the barista asked, grinning at Amy,

"Yes, please, Eliza," Amy replied, sitting at one of the window tables and opening her laptop. While she waited for her laptop to boot up, she rifled through her purse and pulled out her phone to send a text to Rory.

_Meet at the corner deli for lunch?_

The reply was almost immediate. Amy guessed it was Rory's turn to man the front desk at the hospital.

_Sure. I love you. 3_

Amy grinned and sent another text.

_I love you too. :)_

Amy sighed happily as she put her phone away. Even though she and Rory had been married for a little over a year now, she still got the giggles and the butterflies whenever she thought of him. She smiled to herself, and the smile got bigger as she began to type.

"Maple latte with two spoonfuls of cinnamon and a swirl of whipped cream?" Eliza called.

Even though she was a little irritated at being interrupted in the middle of her writing streak, Amy still accepted her coffee with a smile. Then, after thanking Eliza, she went right back to writing, only stopping to sip her latte or stretch her muscles a little.

Until she got stuck.

Amy frowned at the screen, fingers hovering over the keyboard in case an idea came into her head. For a few minutes, she stared at the blinking cursor and wondered what to write next.

Nothing.

Sighing, Amy removed her phone from her purse. Her remedy for short-term writing blocks was music, and from the looks of it, she'd hit a dead end. She tapped her iTunes icon and opened up her favorite playlist. Finally, she stuck her hand into her purse for her earbuds.

Unfortunately, the earbuds were nowhere to be found.

Amy inwardly groaned. Now she distinctly remembered leaving the earbuds on her dresser after she'd finished writing last night and never touching them since. She realized she'd have to walk home for them because Eliza didn't like it when customers played music in the dining area without headphones or earbuds.

Amy dropped her phone into her purse, saved the changes to her story, and closed up her laptop. She picked up the remainder of her latte with one hand and held tightly to her other belongings with the other. She had to use her foot to open the door on her way out.

Amy started off down the street, careful to not get her heels stuck in any sidewalk cracks. Suddenly, two strong arms wrapped around her waist, and long fingers began to tickle her middle. "Doctor!" she cried, struggling not to spill her latte as she escaped his clutches, putting a good distance between herself and him.

Of course, Amy was correct, and the Doctor was grinning down at her like the happy-go-lucky maniac he was. "Hello, Amy!" he greeted her, holding out his arms for a hug.

Amy stepped back. "No way, Doctor. I don't trust you," she teased.

The Doctor crossed his arms. "Come along, Pond," he demanded playfully.

"No!"

"Come here!"

"No!"

"Then I'll have to come to you!" The Doctor lunged forward.

Amy squealed, jumping to the side. "Can't catch me!" she taunted him, hopping from foot to foot. The Doctor nearly fell flat on his face as he raced to capture her. He whipped his head back and forth in confusion before finding her standing a few feet away, tucking her laptop securely under her arm. He took the chance while she was distracted and wrapped his arms around her neck. She almost tripped trying to get away. "Let go!" she exclaimed, giggling.

"Nope!" the Doctor replied, hugging her tighter.

Amy wiggled free from the Doctor's grasp once he calmed down. Then she turned to face him. "It's good to see you too, Doctor," she said, kissing him on the cheek. She would have ruffled his hair, too, had she not been holding things in both hands.

The Doctor clapped his hands together. "So, where is Mr. Pond?"

Amy rolled her eyes. "Rory's at the hospital, Doctor."

"What!?" The Doctor's eyes grew wide. "What happened? Is he okay?"

"Doctor, he's fine," Amy said, struggling not to laugh at how thick the Doctor could be.

"But you said-"

"He works there."

Realization dawned on the Doctor's face. "Oh," he said, looking sheepish. "I knew that."

"Sure you did," said Amy, punching the Doctor lightly on the arm.

The Doctor snapped out of his funk. "Right then! Where'll it be today? The Sydney Opera House - I hear _Carmen _is to be performed there - Barcelona the planet in the 52nd century, or maybe a Michael Jackson concert-"

"Doctor," Amy interrupted. "Aren't you forgetting someone?"

"Rory the Roman!" The Doctor cried, snapping his fingers. "Well, then come along, Pond! We've got lots to do and not enough time to - no, wait, forget I said that..."

Amy shook her head at her best friend's ramblings and followed him down the street, thinking of the adventures the day might bring and forgetting all about the story on her laptop.

* * *

**Well, that wasn't tied to the song as much as the previous oneshot was, but I tried. A for effort, yeah? XD Anyway, if you have no idea who Toy-Box is, well...don't look them up. It's not that they're inapropriate, but it's embarrassing when my brother walks in on me listening to them. For your own good, do not look them up. If you do not heed my warning, you are a stupid prat (I TOLD YOU MERLIN WOULD SHOW UP). **

**So, did you like it? Hate it? Want to light it up and wach it burn? Review and let me know! :)**


	3. Drops of Jupiter

**I would call this oneshot an experiment, and I am quite curious to see the response. Not only is this my first time writing for Twelve, but it's also my first time writing for Rose. *crosses fingers* For your sake, I hope I did well. I can't stand it when someone doesn't write for a character very well. It's actually one of my biggest pet peeves.**

* * *

_"Tell me, did you fall for a shooting star, one without a permanent scar, and did you miss me while you were looking for yourself out there?"_

Oh, he'd gone and done it this time.

If someone had been with him, they most likely would've shut him up somehow, probably by smacking him in the face. He'd had to go and taunt his worst enemies for too long, and now they'd set the entire station on fire.

The good news was that everyone else had already been evacuated, but the Doctor was going to be rather lucky if he got himself out of this scrape. He was now running, fortunately avoiding the flames, for the TARDIS, and fumbling in his pockets for the key. Smoke clouded his vision and burned his eyes, making it hard to see. He choked, his body trying to expel the carbon dioxide from his system.

It was official. He hated being old.

A figure burst through the dark haze, nearly knocking the Doctor off his feet. He continued to hack as he tried to stand back up, vaguely recognizing the figure in the back of his mind. Suddenly, it clicked, and he whipped around to hear a switch being thrown and the sound of a large fan being turned on. The smoke quickly began to clear, and the Doctor choked some more, but not from unwelcomed gas.

"You're thicker than those droids in Versailles."

That voice, one he hadn't heard in hundreds of years, was music to his ears, even if it was teasing him a little. He was afraid to believe it was her, hoping and praying she wasn't some cruel dream. "Rose?"

The blonde stepped forward and made her way towards the Doctor. His voice stuck in his throat and he was unable to say a word, instead holding out his arms. At this gesture, Rose broke into a run, throwing herself into the Doctor's arms and wrapping her arms around his neck.

It was at that moment that the Doctor decided that maybe hugging wasn't so bad after all.

"Rose," the Doctor murmured, holding her tight as if she would disappear the moment he let her go. "Oh, Rose, I've missed you so much."

"I've missed you, too," Rose replied warmly. "I knew it was you as soon as I saw you on the cameras. Who else is daft enough to make fun of a thousand Daleks to their eyestalks?"

"Only me."

As much as he hated to, the Doctor loosened his hold on Rose, and she stepped back. Her hazel eyes looked him over. "Look at you, all gruff and Scottish. When did that happen?" She said it with happiness in her voice, but he could see the sadness in her face.

The Doctor's hearts clenched. "A few hundred years ago."

Rose nodded. "Who else was there? How many times have you forgotten my name?"

The Doctor couldn't stop himself from pulling Rose into his arms once more. "I've never forgotten you, Rose Tyler."

"But you've tried."

He buried his head in her shoulder. "Of course I've tried. Remembering hurts."

The two stood there together for a minute before a loud crash downstairs reminded them where they were. "And that's our cue," the Doctor said, letting go and holding out his hand. "To the TARDIS?"

Rose gave him her signature tongue in teeth grin as she took his hand. "Of course."

For once, they made it to the TARDIS without incident. The Doctor opened the door for Rose, who stepped inside and immediately began to explore the console room. "You've redecorated."

_That's an understatement, _the Doctor thought, knowing she was thinking of the coral color and "round things" of his tenth incarnation's TARDIS. He watched Rose pat the console to say hello to the TARDIS and finger the books on the shelf. "Don't these ever fall off during your travels?" she asked.

Only Rose would inquire about such a thing. "No," he said smugly. "What do you think of her?"

Rose chewed her bottom lip while she thought. "I think she's wonderful, as always," she finally said.

The Doctor turned Rose to face him. "What were you doing there?"

Rose pretended to be offended. "What kind of question is that? Aren't you happy to see me?"

"Very. But you shouldn't have been in a station full of Daleks. You should be home, safe with Jackie and your family."

Rose sighed. "Doctor, I couldn't stay. You taught me that there's a better way of living your life than just eating and sleeping and watching telly. We still had the dimension cannon, and, well..." She blushed. "I used it. We made a few modifications, and I started traveling. I went wherever it sent me, looking for any aliens that might need to be taught a lesson. I did learn a thing or two about aliens, you know." She finally looked back up at him. "Venus was beautiful, by the way."

The Doctor had to chuckle at that. "Yes, it is." He studied the girl standing in front of him, a girl he'd hoped to see again, and ran a hand through her hair.

"What?" Rose laughed, ducking away.

"That explains this, then," said the Doctor. He held out his hand to show Rose the small sparkles he'd collected.

Rose gawked for a minute. "What are they?"

"It's stardust." The Doctor blew it off his hand. "It's in your hair."

"Reminds me of that song that goes 'drops of Jupiter in her hair'," Rose quipped. "Too bad we don't have the CD. It's a nice song to dance to."

"We don't need music to dance," the Doctor said, pulling Rose into a waltz.

"Whoa!" Rose giggled as she nearly tripped. "You really have changed. Last time I saw you, you hated dancing."

The Doctor smirked at her. "I've learned that the world doesn't end because the Doctor dances."

He was rewarded with a tongue in teeth grin.

* * *

**In case you haven't figured it out, the chapters are the names of the songs I'm basing my oneshots on. **

**About "Drops of Jupiter". I actually heard it off Taylor Swift's "Speak Now: World Tour" album first, but no worries, I did eventually figure out that Train is the original artist. Anyway, when it was my result for this chapter, I immediately thought, "Twelve and Rose reunion fic", which is odd because I've never written a reunion fic before.**

**So what did you think? Did you like it? Hate it? Want to light it up and watch it burn? Review and let me know! :) **


	4. Holding On and Letting Go

**Conclusion from yesterday: stick to Eleven,the Ponds, and Clara. I think they're probably my writing forte. Thank you, katierosefun and CaylithTheGolden, for your support. I'm still baffled by your comment, Villanous TARDIS. XD**

**Anyways, I'm pretty happy today. I think it's because Taylor Swift just released "Welcome to New York" this morning, and it's even better than Out of the Woods (which I ADORE). I was kind of worried when I heard Taylor was crossing over to the pop genre, but so far, I have not been disappointed. :)**

**Sorry for that little speech, non-Swifties. Enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

_"Sometimes we're holding angels, and we never even know."_

The Doctor had something he treasured very deeply. Since that horrible day when his family had been torn from him in the worst possible way, he considered it the most treasured thing he owned. It was something he'd kept close to his hearts these days, and for him, it was too precious to give up.

But not for Clara.

A small smile came to the Doctor's lips at the mere thought of his companion. His impossible girl was unknowingly balm on two wounded hearts. Her curious outlook on life was refreshing to the Doctor, who had almost forgotten the joy of showing a companion a new planet.

She'd wanted to see something awesome, and the Doctor had intended to provide it. Akhaten seemed the perfect place, with just the right amount of aliens, a lovely traditional ceremony, and one heck of a sunset.

The soul-eating monster was the unexpected pleasure.

Clara's words still amazed him. He would expect a human to run from any sort of danger back to the safest place they knew. But not his impossible girl.

_"Why are we walking away!? We can't just walk away!"_

The Doctor had then watched as Clara gave up one of _her _most treasured possessions just to save a girl she barely knew. The look on her face as she told him the ring had been her mum's had stabbed him in the hearts.

And how could he have not noticed how Merry had been comforted by Clara's presence? Clara had been a rock for the young girl, calming her fears while the Doctor dealt with the living mummy. If not for Clara, he'd probably still be stuck in the temple with that monstrosity.

When Merry was safe and unharmed back on Akhaten, Clara had come back for him. The Doctor had watched once more as Clara gave up another treasured possession, the most important leaf in human history, just to save the people on Akhaten.

The Doctor couldn't help but admire the girl.

He mulled over all that had happened on the moped ride back to Akhaten. Once they disembarked on the planet, Clara was greeted with a warm, relieved embrace from Merry. The Doctor took his chance to slip away while Clara was distracted.

The Doctor wandered into the practically deserted marketplace and found a bench to sit on. He then withdrew the paper from his pocket and began to read.

_Afterword by Amelia Williams:_

_Hello, old friend. And here we are. You and me, on the last page. By the time you read these words, Rory and I will be long gone. So know that we lived well and were very happy. And above all else, know that we will love you always. _

_Sometimes I do worry about you though. I think once we're gone you won't be coming back here for awhile. And you might be alone, which you should never be. Don't be alone, Doctor. _

_And do one more thing for me. There's a little girl waiting in a garden. She's going to wait a long while, so she's going to need a lot of hope. Go to her. Tell her a story. Tell her that if she's patient, the days are coming that she'll never forget. Tell her she'll go to sea and fight pirates. She'll fall in love with a man who'll wait two thousand years to keep her safe. Tell her she'll give hope to the greatest painter who ever lived and save a whale in outer space. Tell her, this is the story of Amelia Pond. _

_And this is how it ends. _

The Doctor wiped away a tear at his best friend's words. He read the letter once more, then folded it into his palm. He gathered his courage, blinked away more tears, and went to Dor'een's stall.

The Doctor couldn't get the leaf back, but he could try for the ring.

The barking alien was fortunately still at her stall. The Doctor had to tap her on the shoulder to get her attention away from the boxes waited to be packed with her various goods.

Dor'een barked indignantly before the Doctor interrupted with his own series of barks. Dor'een listened, barked, and held out a large hand.

His own hand trembling, the Doctor placed the afterword in Dor'een's palm. She examined it, then handed the Doctor Clara's ring.

The Doctor thanked Dor'een and ran off to find Clara. She was not invisible, for a large group of aliens had surrounded the overwhelmed woman. The Doctor saluted them all before taking Clara's hand and leading her back to the TARDIS.

The Doctor snapped his fingers to shut the door. "So, Clara? How'd you like Akhaten? "

Clara giggled and hugged her book to her chest. "Like it? Oh my stars, it was absolutely marvelous!" she exclaimed, dancing about the TARDIS.

The Doctor typed in some coordinates and threw a lever. "Good."

Clara's smile didn't fade until the TARDIS stopped. The Doctor opened the doors for her. "Home again, jiggity jig."

"It looks different."

The Doctor looked over Clara's shoulder. "Nope. Same house, same city, same planet. Hey!" He clapped his hands with delight. "Same day, actually! Not bad! Hole in one!"

Then he remembered the ring.

The Doctor dug his hand into his pocket and held the ring out to Clara. "They wanted you to have it," he lied.

Clara looked surprised and shocked. "Who did?"

"Everyone. All the people you saved," the Doctor replied. "You. No one else." He smiled. "Clara."

Clara grinned thankfully as she accepted the ring and skipped out of the TARDIS. The Doctor gazed after her and sighed. Somehow, he knew Amy wouldn't have minded.

After all, she did say not to be alone.

* * *

**This chapter was inspired by "Holding On and Letting Go" by Ross Copperman. Let's just say some tears were shed while I was writing. I miss the Ponds. :'(**

**Did you like it? Hate it? Release so many feels that now you want to punch me in the face? Review and let me know! :P Now to go download "Welcome to New York" from iTunes...or at least add it to my to-do list...**


	5. Scar

**Rain, rain, go away. Guys, it's time to bust out that leather jacket again! **

**I'm gonna clear this up now so I don't get any requests/prompts/whatever. I do not ship the Doctor and Martha. Did I like Martha as a character? Yes. Did I like her and the Doctor's friendship? Definitely. Do I wish the Doctor hadn't kind of blown her off? Absolutely. But I think they are very, very close friends and should stay that way. **

**The song prompt was "Scar" by Missy Higgins and requested by CaylithTheGolden. I hope y'all enjoy!**

* * *

_"A triangle trying to squeeze through a circle, he tried to cut me so I'd fit."_

The Doctor lay under the TARDIS console, attempting to tighten a few switches. "Martha, hand me the wrench, will you?" he asked, holding out his hand.

Martha looked up from rifling through the toolbox. "I thought you wanted the sonic screwdriver!" she replied in frustration, but handed him a gray wrench.

The Doctor hit his hand on the grate when he tried to facepalm. "No, Martha, the _vortex _wrench!" he cried, throwing the wrench toward the jump seat. It narrowly missed Martha's head.

As Martha looked through the box for a_ complicated _wrench most likely from another planet in another century, she could hear the Doctor mutter, "Rose would've known which one I meant."

Martha had to grit her teeth to keep from spewing out some nasty insults.

Honestly, she was so _sick _and _tired _of being compared to this Rose girl. It was always "Rose this" and "Rose that". The Doctor never asked about her, instead reminiscing about Rose. It was enough to make Martha hate Rose, which Martha didn't like because she was sure that Rose was a perfectly nice girl.

After all, the Doctor claimed he only traveled with the best.

Martha shoved the toolbox toward the open grate. "Doctor, I'm going for a walk."

"What? Wait! Where's the wrench-_ow!_" The clang of metal resounded throughout the console room as the Doctor's head made contact with the grate. He rubbed his head and sat up just in time to see Martha sauntering away into the corridor.

Martha walked through the halls, trying to clear her head of bitterness and hurt. It wasn't working. In her mind, she was comparing her situation to an abusive relationship. It was obvious that she loved the Doctor more than he loved her, but worse than that, he didn't seem to care about her at all. Half the time Martha contemplated leaving the TARDIS altogether and never coming back.

Because why would the Doctor keep her on board if she was so horrible?

It had been wonderful at first. The different eras, the new planets, and the extraordinary people were all quite fascinating to Martha. Even the Doctor seemed happier, with a smile on his face as they stopped the Carrionites in 1599 London and the Daleks in 1931 New York. Over time, though, he seemed to grow disappointed in her and not seem to like her as much. That was only the beginning of a stinging slap in the face that told Martha that she and the Doctor just weren't meant to be.

Her courage building, Martha turned on her heel and headed back to the console room. She planned to tell the Doctor that it had been fun, but it was now necessary for her to leave. She would tell him that she needed to complete her medical training and look after her family, but she'd be happy to see him if he was ever back in London.

She just wished she could also tell him how she felt about him.

Martha entered the console room to find the Doctor standing above the grate, fiddling with a switch. She opened her mouth to ask what he was doing, but before she could say anything, two words fell from his lips:

"I'm sorry."

Just like that, Martha's resolve melted away. One look at the Doctor's sad brown eyes reminded her how lonely he'd been after Rose, and she immediately forgave him. She knew he was hurting, and while his comparisons of her and Rose still hurt, he had never mistreated her in any way. Not only that, but his friendship meant the world to her.

She didn't think she could go on without that.

So Martha stepped forward and wrapped her arms around the Doctor, just to let him know that he was forgiven. He stumbled but wrapped his arms around her waist once he regained his balance, and she rested her chin on his shoulder.

She knew the Doctor would simply ask her where she wanted to go next when they were done, and they would never mention this little encounter again.

But she would remember.

And when the time came for her to leave, it would hurt all the more, knowing how things could've gone.

Yes, the Doctor was going to leave her with a scar.

* * *

**I would like to say thank you to Caylith for introducing me to the song. I wasn't a fan at first, but it grew on me as I listened and tried to come up with a concept. Took me a while, but I think I did okay. Heh. **

**I'm kind of disappointed in y'all. Over 200 views in a twenty-four period and only katierosefun reviewed? That really stings. **

**So, now, if you liked it, hated it, or wanted to light it up and watch it burn, would you review? Pretty please with a fez on top?**


	6. Death and All His Friends

**I'm going to pretend that I'm still on schedule. Okay? We good? Cool.**

**Anyway...**

**This has got to be one of the busiest weekends of my entire existence. Last night I had an Alice in Wonderland theme night at my ballroom dancing class (I will put pictures of my costume on Pinterest ASAP) AND a game night at youth group. Let's just say that my takeaway from youth group was that I should never again eat wasabi. Just...no. **

**Today, I had drama practice.**

**And tomorrow, my church is having a harvest festival, and my youth group is having another game night, this one including dodgeball. **

**So yeah. **

**However, you did not come to read the events of my weekend. You most likely came to read your (overdue) daily dose of Doctor Who. So let's get on with it, shall we?**

* * *

_"No, I don't wanna battle from beginning to end, I don't wanna cycle, recycle revenge, I don't wanna follow death and all his friends."_

The Doctor was a soldier.

It wasn't an opinion, it was a fact. The Doctor had fought on the front lines of the Time War, and he had killed others. And in the end, he had eradicated two races from the universe. Yes, it was to save the universe at large, but he still had the blood on his hands.

And he hated it.

Even before the Time War, the Doctor had fought. He defended the Earth and the humans that inhabited the blue marble. He fought for the companions he'd picked up along the way. He'd fought Daleks, Cybermen, and Zygons, all to keep the Earth safe.

The Doctor was tired of fighting, especially when he no longer had something to fight for.

Then along came Rose, a spirited human girl with a longing for adventure. She could be a little bossy at times, but the Doctor admired her willingness to take charge of a difficult situation. She was not afraid to stand up for what she believed was right and protested if the Doctor wanted to walk away. To the Doctor, she was a light in the twisted darkness of the universe.

What the Doctor liked most about Rose was that she had shown him how to love again.

Because of Rose, the Doctor found it that much easier to give his enemies a second chance. Because of Rose, the Doctor was once again ready to help someone in need. Because of Rose, the Doctor was prepared to sacrifice his own life for a greater cause.

And now that the Doctor cared deeply for Rose, he had something to fight for. Something that kept him going. Something that gave him hope when everything else was lost.

That's what Rose did for him.

He just had to find a way to tell her.

At the moment, the Doctor was tinkering with the console once again. Rose was sitting on the jump seat, watching him, as she often did. However, instead of being chatty as usual, Rose had been uncharacteristically quiet and simply watched him work. The Doctor was happy just to have her company and said nothing about the silence.

Suddenly, Rose blurted out, "What do you think love is?"

The Doctor whipped his head around to face Rose. "Love?" he asked incredulously. "Is that what you said?"

Rose nodded.

The Doctor frowned. "What sort of question is that?"

Rose just shrugged. "It's been on my mind lately," she confessed.

The Doctor sat back on his heels. "Love, love, love," he mumbled, trying to come up with an answer. "Well, it's a powerful force, love."

Rose tilted her head. "Okay, but what exactly do you think it is?"

The Doctor considered Rose. There she sat, eyes bright, her hand holding up her head, waiting for an answer. "I don't know," he told her. "I don't think it can be explained."

Rose lifted her head. "So you've never been in love?"

The Doctor tried to come up with some clever deflective remark but found that his wits had failed him. He cleared his throat. "Actually," he began. "I..." _Just tell her, you moron!_ "I have."

Maybe it was just his imagination, but Rose looked a bit hopeful at that, though she hid it well with a tongue-in-teeth grin. "And what was it like, loverboy?" she teased.

"Oi!" The Doctor regarded Rose with a smirk. She laughed.

He loved to hear that laugh.

"Well..." The Doctor's eyes darted about the TARDIS. Anywhere but her expectant face. "It's the best and worst feeling in the world. You can't imagine what life would be like without them. You can't stop thinking about them. Y-you want to scream it to the world." _Figure it out, my clever Rose. Please. _

During this little speech, the Doctor had stood and made his way to the jump seat to sit beside Rose. "You'd give your life to keep them safe," he finished, staring into her brown eyes. "Why do you ask?"

Rose opened her mouth to speak, closed it, then opened it again. "Because, Doctor," she whispered, her voice trembling. "I think I'm in love with you."

The Doctor thought he was going to wake up any second as he leaned in to capture Rose's lips with his own.

"Oh, Rose," he whispered when they finally took a breath. "I love you, too. Always have."

Rose smiled at him from under her long eyelashes. "Since 'run'?" she asked.

The Doctor gave her a goofy grin. "Since 'run'."

He would fight. The Doctor would keep fighting the Daleks and the Cybermen and any more monsters he might come across.

Because, at long last, the Doctor had something to fight for.

And her name was Rose Tyler.

* * *

**"Death and All His Friends" is a song by the band Coldplay. If you have never heard of Coldplay, you are either an uncultured swine or you have been living under a rock. Sorry, but it's true, especially if you claim to like David Tennant.**

**I like how polite you guys are in your reviews, especially with requests. A few FanFiction friends of mine have told me how annoying it is when someone reviews just to put in a request or is very demanding with their request. All of you who have requested have simply suggested a song or given me an artist to listen to. And not once have I gotten a request without constructive critisism to go along with it. :)**

**If you liked this chapter, hated this chapter, or wanted to set this chapter on fire, let me know in a review! :)**


	7. Anthem of the Angels

**Thought I wasn't going to update again?**

**Well, think again, doods. That ain't happening again. I actually finished this one this afternoon, but I didn't get a chance to upload it. *sigh* Procrastination heaven over here.**

**Anyway, went to the harvest festival today! Some of the stands were pretty cool. There was one with a bunch of handmade jewelry (one necklace took the maker a MONTH to complete!), one with a few cool purses, and the one my friend was using to sell baked goodies. Like her infamous Oreo bark. Mmm, just THINKING about that ish makes my mouth water. :P**

**You're also encouraged to dress up there. Doods, you should've seen all the Elsas that showed up! Anyway, one of my best friends went as a pirate. My other best friend went as Elsa. My other other best friend went as Abby from NCIS (and wore a plaid skirt that looked like Clara's skirt in The Time of the Doctor). And I went as the Ninth Doctor. Leather jacket, black galore, and sonic screwdriver! (Although I spent half the evening explaining what the sonic screwdriver was...-_-)**

**Lords of Gallifrey, shouldn't I be writing this in my journal or something? **

**Yes? Then enough of that. The song prompt was "Anthem of the Angels" by Breaking Benjamin and requested by xXTheRealJoker'sGirlXx. Enjoy!**

* * *

_"I keep holding onto you, but I can't bring you back to life, sing the anthem of the angels, then say the last goodbye."_

The Doctor never thought he'd see the day when he'd have to say goodbye to his Impossible Girl.

But that day was now upon him.

The day had started out optimistic. Clara had come bouncing into the TARDIS as usual, a bright grin on her face. She'd brought her mother's "101 Places to See" book with her, and the Doctor had immediately figured out that Clara wished to visit one of the destinations listed in the book. "Where to, Clara?" he asked her, ready to type in the coordinates.

"The ruins of Caracol," Clara answered without hesitation.

"Caracol during the height of its power or the ruins today?"

"Ruins."

The Doctor raised an eyebrow (or where an eyebrow typically would be) but said nothing. Instead, he threw the lever to send them off.

At Caracol, the Doctor used his psychic paper to grant himself and Clara access to the various artifacts and tombs the archeologists had found. The guard told the supposed head archeologist and his wife about the rumors of ghosts mucking about, to which the Doctor and Clara glanced at each other with gleeful stares.

Of course, rumors of ghosts didn't stop the two from going down to the tombs to explore. Clara snapped a few pictures of the pottery, jewelry, and valuables the bodies had been buried with while the Doctor poked around the tomb, searching for anything suspicious. Clara had to bite her tongue to keep from laughing at him.

"Oi!" he protested when she let a few giggles slip. "It's not funny!"

"Yes, it is," Clara responded. "You look so serious. It doesn't suit you."

"I'll have you know I can be very serious," the Doctor stated seriously before seriously straightening his bowtie.

"Right." Clara winked and turned around with a toss of her head.

That's when the Whisper Men appeared from the shadows.

The Doctor saw the outstretched hand behind Clara first. "Clara!" he shouted, rushing forward and pulling her back. Her eyes were wide when she discovered the pale figure that had nearly killed her.

"Run," the Doctor commanded, and the two took off for the exit.

"Think we found our ghosts?" Clara panted as they ran. More Whisper Men appeared behind them.

"I'm certain of it," the Doctor quipped.

_The man who loves her will realize it as_

_The girl he loves will breathe her last_

"Doctor!" Clara shouted to drown out the whispering of the Whisper Men.

"I know, I know!" the Doctor replied, pulling Clara along faster, for if someone heard the rhymes of the Whisper Men, nothing ended well.

_She may have saved him at Trenzalore_

_The time has come when she will save him no more_

"I can't keep up," Clara gasped. "Doctor, we have to hide."

"I won't let them take you!" the Doctor told her. "Keep running!"

"I can't!" Clara shouted just before she tripped and fell.

The Doctor whipped around when their hands separated and found himself facing a trio of Whisper Men. "CLARA!"

_Sustaining wounds no stitches can mend _

He was answered by Clara's anguished screams.

_The Impossible Girl has reached her end_

The Whisper Men vanished, and the Doctor found Clara lying on the ground, choking on her own blood. He rushed to kneel beside her. "Clara," he murmured, pulling her into his lap and brushing a lock of hair from her face. "Oh, my Clara, I'm so sorry."

Clara reached up to touch the Doctor's face. "Doctor," she gasped.

The Doctor held back his tears as he pressed two fingers to the pulse point in Clara's neck. As he'd suspected, the Whisper Men had stopped her heart like they had attempted to at Trenzalore.

Only this time, they had succeeded, and Clara had only seconds left.

"Doctor," Clara tried again. Her finger wiped a rebellious tear from under his eye. He pressed a kiss to her palm. "Run."

"Don't," the Doctor protested, nearly hysterical. "We'll get you back to the TARDIS. You'll be fine, I promise."

"Run, you clever boy," Clara finished, "and remember."

The Doctor hugged Clara to his chest. "I'll always remember," he promised, defeated.

Clara gave him a weak smile before taking in one last breath.

The Doctor's breath hitched in his throat, and he buried his face in Clara's hair as, for the first time in a long time, he sobbed his hearts out. He could feel Clara's fingers growing colder in his clenched fist.

He was the Doctor! He hadn't chosen that name just for fun! There had to be a way to save her.

But somehow, he knew in his hearts that she was gone. And she wasn't an echo.

Clara Oswald was never coming back.

* * *

**I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Please don't murder me in my sleep tonight! But that song was so angsty and so heartbreaking that I just had to! GAH!**

**I actually thought the Whisper Men were neat villians (even if they are really, really creepy) and am hoping to see them return once again so the Doctor can kick their butts again. By the way, sorry if the poetry stunk. I tried, honest I did. :P**

**If you liked it, hated it, or wanted to punch me in the face for giving you all the feels, review and let me know! **


	8. Ugly

**Migraines suck. That's all I'm gonna say.**

**Guys. If you haven't bought 1989 yet, or at least listened to it, go to iTunes or Google Play and listen to the samples (because there's no good version on YouTube). You need to. Now. It's a necessity. You especially need to listen to "Wildest Dreams". Oh my Lords of GALLIFREY, "Wildest Dreams" fits Whouffaldi so well it hurts! GAH!**

**Okay, enough Taylor Swift feels (maybe).**

**I think this oneshot is aimed toward a female audience, but I guess a guy could put himself in the story, too. *shrug* You're the reader, so you decide.**

* * *

_"I think I'm ugly, and nobody wants to love me."_

You sat on the front stoop of your home, legs drawn up to your chest. A breeze blew your hair around your face. It also blew the leaves from the trees surrounding the property and sent them skipping along in the air before they floated to the ground.

However, you were too preoccupied to notice the beauty of this perfect fall day.

Your parents were fighting again, and you just didn't want to listen to them scream at each other any more. So you'd snuck downstairs with your iPod and gone outside to escape the shouts. You'd sat down, put your favorite playlist on shuffle, and tried to tune out the world. However, your parents' argument still rang in your ears. The chill in the air didn't compare to the chill you felt whenever your parents yelled at each other like they were now.

A few tears gathered in your eyes, and you angrily wiped them away. You were a young adult now. You could handle something this trivial.

But this wasn't trivial, and you knew it. If only you could ask someone for advice, or even had someone to listen to you rant. That would be nice.

A sudden noise that most definitely wasn't the wind made you lift your head. The breeze seemed to pick up, and you watched as a blue box appeared on your lawn. Even though you were curious, you stayed where you were, watching to see what would happen.

The box opened, and a man with a tousled mop of hair and what looked like a bowtie (a _bowtie?_) stepped out. He quickly noticed you sitting on the stoop. "Oh, hello!" he called in a British accent. You stared unashamedly as you gave him a halfhearted wave.

The odd man studied you for a minute. "What's wrong?" he asked after closing the door of his blue box.

"There's nothing wrong," you replied shortly.

The man frowned and made his way up the steps. "It doesn't look like there's nothing wrong," he said, studying you as you had studied him. "What's your name?"

"I could ask you the same," you said.

The man grinned. "How rude of me!" he said, sticking out his hand. "I'm the Doctor."

You raised an eyebrow, waiting for him to finish. "Doctor...?"

"Just the Doctor."

You sighed but shook his hand. "I'm [Y/N]," you replied.

The Doctor with no name then gave you his full attention. "Well, [Y/N], now that we've introduced ourselves, what's wrong?" he asked.

You shook your head and looked back at the swirling leaves. "It doesn't matter."

"Oh, come now," the Doctor said, putting an arm around your shoulder. Strangely enough, you didn't want to push him away. The hug felt nice, especially since your parents seemed more concerned with arguing with each other than your feelings. "It's not good to bottle things up."

You looked at the Doctor, who was waiting to listen to your story. Who was ready to let you rant to him about your problems even though he'd never met you before. Who was ready to comfort you when you had finished. Who, for some reason, you trusted.

So, for the heck of it, you spilled it all out. How it all started almost a year ago when your parents couldn't agree on some financial issues (of which you didn't know the details). How you sometimes woke up from nightmares of fights involving bruises and broken bones. How it felt like they just didn't care about you anymore and only cared about winning whatever argument it was this week. How ugly you felt inside while they fought and how that was the reason you were outside in the first place.

The Doctor simply listened, occasionally nodding his head to show he understood your words.

After a few minutes of rambling, your resolve weakened. Tears fell, but you didn't bother to wipe them away. You soon held your head in your hands, shoulders shaking from your sobs. Your spine tingled from the chills running down your back. Your eyes burned from all the unshed tears you'd held back for months.

And to your surprise, the Doctor didn't say a word. He wrapped you in a giant hug and let you cry on his shoulder until your eyes were dry and your throat itched from your choking sobs.

When you were finished, you were embarrassed to find that you were clinging to the Doctor as if he was a life raft. He didn't seem to mind, though. He pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and handed it to you. Both of you laughed when you blew your nose and made a funny honking sound.

"Now, doesn't it feel better to have gotten all that out?" the Doctor asked you.

"It really does. Thank you, Doctor," you said as you gave back his handkerchief.

The Doctor patted your back. "I have an idea." He pointed to his blue box. "Would you believe me if I said that can travel anywhere in space and time?"

"Wouldn't it be a tight fit?" you joked, surprised you felt like joking again.

"Want to see?"

"Sure."

At that, the Doctor led you down the stairs to his box and opened the door for you. You gasped as you stepped over the threshold. "It's bigger on the inside!" you breathed, spinning in a slow circle. You turned to stare at the Doctor, who had a pleased little smirk on his face. "You're an alien, aren't you?"

"You're just now getting that? Blimey, you humans are slow sometimes." The Doctor gestured to what looked like a console. "Welcome to the TARDIS. Fancy a trip?"

You gaped at the Doctor. "You mean I can come with you?" you asked, flabbergasted at the offer.

"Well, if you want. You could escape from your normal human life for awhile," the Doctor said, walking to the console. "Anywhere in time and space." He wrapped his fingers around a lever and grinned at you. "Where do you want to start?"

You couldn't speak for a moment. And when you could, your answer was crazy. It was ludicrous. It was the last thing anyone would've expected you to say.

And you were okay with that.

"Surprise me."

* * *

**Because there are days when any one of us needs silly, bowtie-wearing Eleven to bring the smile back to our faces.**

**This was written for anyone going through a tough time. The reason I picked parental issues is because that is a problem that makes me most upset. And I'm very fortunate because my parents don't fight very much and always apologize when they do. However, there are many kids that aren't so lucky.**

**If you sense something wrong with a friend or anyone at all that you might be acquainted with, ask them about it. Let them rant to you or even cry on your shoulder if they need to. Everyone needs someone to talk to every once in a while. I know I have. I can't tell you how many times I've gone to katierosefun when I'm upset (honestly, I'm surprised she hasn't blocked me from her PM box yet). **

**And if you're the one going through a rough time, for Gallifrey's sake, tell someone. It really isn't healthy to bottle up your feelings. Every time I try to bottle something up, I always take it out on people I care about (I remember twice I ranted about something on katierosefun's forum. That was embarrassing). Anyway, no one person can carry a heavy burden on their own. And if you really feel like you've got nobody to go to, come to me or a FanFiction friend you trust. Please. Personally, I will be happy to listen and offer advice if you want me to. **

**If you like it, hate it, or can relate to it, review and let me know!**


	9. Wildest Dreams

**I'm happy today. Don't know why, don't care why, I'm just happy. :)**

**I'm all filled up with nervous energy because around the time I'm supposed to receive my PSAT score, I'm supposed to find out if I won the 1989 Swiftstakes. And on top of that, I've got a performance at the local music cafe on the 21st. Add Thanksgiving preparations and Christmas shopping to that - well, I'm just full of it. And a month is NOT that far away. So...yeah.**

**Anyway, this chapter goes out to a certain someone who, in her own words, wanted me to "MAKE THE TWO MAKE OUT NOW PLEASE". "TWO" means the Twelfth Doctor and Clara. So, since I was in the mood for some Whouffaldi myself, I decided to make her wish my command. Enjoy! ;)**

* * *

_"He's so tall and handsome as hell, he's so bad but he does it so well."_

It was two in the morning, and Clara Oswald hadn't slept a wink.

Ever since she'd stormed out of the TARDIS, she'd been crying. All her anger and betrayed feelings were channeled into her tears as she slumped into the armchair in the living room, curling into a little ball. Her sobs only got worse when she heard the TARDIS dematerializing. Her old Doctor wouldn't have listened.

He would've come to apologize.

But then again, her old Doctor wouldn't have left such a horrible decision to her alone.

So Clara continued to cry. She cried for the old Doctor and what they once had. She cried remembering the kisses on cheeks and playful banter they'd shared. Then she cried for this newer, darker, Doctor, who was ready to let the human race trip and fall over one girl's mistake. She cried for the lack of her hand in his during their recent adventures.

Then she cried over her own foolishness. She cried over the horrible things she'd said to him. She cried over the memories of insults and dry humor at his expense. She cried over her initial skeptical feelings about him.

She cried because she was sorry for never even giving him a chance.

Soon enough, Clara had cried out all her tears and was left as a miserable lump on the armchair, her chest tight with sadness. Her eyelids drooped, all the crying having taken most of her energy.

The TARDIS engines in her bedroom were enough to wake her back up.

"Clara?" The TARDIS door creaked open, followed by the Doctor's voice. She heard him shuffling around her room looking for her. "Oh, please tell me you didn't go out with that pudding-brain again."

Clara raised her head. "I heard that," she called softly, mustering up any teasing she had in her at the moment.

The Doctor's head poked out from behind the door. "Clara, are you in here?" When he opened the door the rest of the way, the moonlight in the bedroom enhanced his silhouette.

Clara looked up and did her best to wipe the mascara from her face. "I'm right here, Doctor."

"So I see." In a few long strides, the Doctor crossed the room to the armchair.

Clara stood up to face him. They stood there for a minute, staring at each other until, at the same time, they both said, "I'm sorry."

Clara had to let out a dry giggle at that. "No, it was all me," she told him. "I should've been more supportive, more understanding..."

"I should've been more sympathetic," was the Doctor's response. "I should've told you what I knew."

They regarded each other for a moment before Clara spoke again. "I was scared, Doctor," she breathed. "I was really, truly scared."

The Doctor gazed at her for a moment. "I'm sorry." He closed the distance between them, and one more tear escaped Clara's eye before their lips clashed. This one, however, was a grateful tear.

For the moment, everything was fine. Clara was encased in the Doctor's arms and her hands were tangled in his silver hair. He loved her, and she loved him, and she was perfectly content with that arrangement.

When they finally broke apart, the Doctor pulled Clara against his chest and placed his other hand on top of her head, gently stroking her hair. Clara breathed in his scent, feeling more secure than she had felt in a long time.

The Doctor's next question surprised her. "Why were you scared? It takes a lot to scare my Impossible Girl," he murmured, his Scottish burr rumbling against her ear.

Clara stepped back a little to look up at his face. "Because I was afraid to disappoint you," she admitted. "I never want to disappoint you."

"Clara," the Doctor said, a small warning tone in his voice. "My Clara, don't think you will. You could never disappoint me." He cleared his throat. "So...are we, erm, good?"

Clara smiled. "Yes, Doctor. We're good."

"Good!" The Doctor released Clara and took her hand, leading her toward the TARDIS. "Now, where do you want to go? You look rather nice-we could go to a Broadway show. I don't think we've done Broadway-"

"Doctor?"

The Doctor stopped his ramble. "What?"

"First of all, it's two in the morning and I'm tired, so I think Broadway can wait. Second of all, it's dark. I could be wearing my nightie for all you know," Clara chuckled.

The Doctor raised an eyebrow, then smirked. "Maybe I think you look good in the dark."

"Down, boy!"

* * *

**I REGRET NOTHING.**

**So this was based on "Wildest Dreams", a song off 1989. :) And no, it's not on Spotify yet, but I got the plot bunny, it wouldn't leave me alone, and this story was born. THERE WERE TOO MANY FEELS THOUGH**

**Anyway, if you like it, hate it, or want to light it up and watch it burn, review and let me know! :)**


	10. Cool Kids

**It's Friday, Friday, gotta get down on-NO.**

**But it is Friday night, and I'm spending it on Netflix watching Merlin and having a dance party to 1989 over Skype with katierosefun. I have no shame in that! :)**

**Anyway...yeah, I don't have a super long author's note tonight. I do have some replies for reviews.**

**To Villanous TARDIS: Do you mind giving me a specific song you were thinking of? Sorry it took so long to get back to you on that. :/**

**To Guest: Er...not really into werewolves and the like (although I did like the "Tooth and Claw" episode). Sorry.**

**To Foxfur, I'm working on your request. I need to take some time to sit down and listen to the song really closely. Thank you for your patience! :)**

**To everyone reading: enjoy!**

* * *

_"I wish that I could be like the cool kids, cause all the cool kids, they seem to fit in."_

Thirteen-year-old Amelia Pond rushed through the corridor, her head lowered so no one could see her face. However, as she was the only girl in the school with ginger hair, her classmates easily spotted her.

"Hey, fairy-tale girl!"

"Where's your doctor, Pond?"

"She could use a doctor. The girl's insane."

Tears sprang to Amelia's eyes at her classmates' jokes. She walked faster and faster until she finally exited the school. She'd gotten hiccups from trying not to cry, and she looked around for a clump of bushes to hide in.

"Amelia?"

Amelia turned at the sound of the voice. The lanky teenage boy she'd grown up with stood behind her, black glasses on his nose and a few notebooks under his arm. "Are you okay?"

Amelia slowly nodded. "Yeah, Rory," she said, summoning a weak smile. "I'm fine."

Rory studied her. "You don't look okay."

"I'm fine," Amelia assured him. She looked over his shoulder. "Where's Mels? Don't tell me she's stuck in detention again."

"Don't think so." Rory turned to look just before their dark-skinned friend emerged from the crowd of kids. "There she is."

"Yeah, I see her," Amelia stated as Mels ran up. "Hey, Mels."

"Hey, Amy, Rory."

Amelia groaned. "Mels, how many times do I have to tell you to call me Amelia? It's getting old."

"As many times as it takes for you to let me call you Amy. 'Amelia' wears out my tongue. Besides, it's too fancy for you," Mels said.

"That's why I like it," Amelia said. "It sounds like a name in a fairy-tale."

"I like it, too," Rory agreed helpfully. "You look like a pixie, so it suits you." Amelia blushed at this.

Mels rolled her eyes and threw her cardigan over her shoulder. "Come on, lovebirds. Weren't we gonna go get some ice cream?"

Amelia and Rory, flustered from Mels' lovebirds comment, murmured agreement and started off after Mels.

At the ice cream parlor, Amelia and Mels claimed a table while Rory went to order their treats. Mels leaned forward and kept her voice low. "What's the matter?"

"Nothing's wrong," Amelia claimed, sitting back in her chair.

"Uh-huh," Mels clucked, unconvinced. "Was someone teasing you about the raggedy Doctor?"

Amelia sighed. "Is it that obvious?"

"Just to me," Mels stated cheerfully. "Listen. If someone teases you about him again, tell me and I'll break their nose. Sound good?"

"Sounds good," Amelia laughed as Rory arrived with their ice cream, and the conversation moved on to other things.

A few minutes later, Mels tapped her spoon against the table while she waited for Amelia and Rory to finish their ice cream. The bell on the door rang, announcing a customer. Or five, as it turned out to be.

Mels did a double take and whistled. "Whoa. If Amy wasn't sitting right there, I could've sworn that was her."

The girl at the counter was a redhead a little taller than Amelia. Some obnoxious boys had followed her to the ice cream parlor, disrupting the quiet atmosphere.

"Aw, Kris, come on!" one boy pleaded. "Just one drink?"

"Told ya, Sam, I'm not interested," the girl replied, rolling her eyes.

"I'll pay this time. I promise!"

"Sure," the girl drawled, sending all the boys but Sam, who pouted, into laughter.

"Kristen Dowell," Rory said. "She goes to the secondary school on Main." At looks from Amelia and Mels, he held up his hands in surrender. "Hey, I didn't get that information myself! I hear things from the guys at school."

"Sure," Mels mocked Kristen's drawl. Her two friends collapsed into giggles.

Amelia's eyes kept flicking over to Kristen and the crowd of boys surrounding her. "Maybe that's what I need to do," she said suddenly.

"Scuse me?" Mels asked, looking up.

Amelia kept staring at Kristen's carefree expression. "Maybe I just need to be like the cool kids," she said, mostly to herself. "Maybe then people will stop picking on me."

"Amelia," Rory said, putting an arm around her. "You're perfect just the way you are. You don't need to change."

"Yeah," Mels chimed in. "Besides, I already agreed to clock anyone that teased you in the nose."

Rory grinned. "Personally, I like the idea of an alien traveling around in a big blue box. And anyone who doesn't has no imagination."

"You wouldn't fit in with the cool kids anyway," Mels continued. "Cool kids go around with their noses in the air, and you aren't like that."

"So I guess you're stuck with us," Rory teased, giving Amelia's shoulders a squeeze and causing her to giggle.

Amelia smiled, thankful for the encouragement. "You know," she said, "being stuck with you isn't so bad."

"Yeah, well, you're not so bad, either," Mels said, grinning.

Amelia stuck her tongue out at Mels before bringing her in for a hug.

* * *

**I'm not really sure where the heck Kristen came from. I guess I'm just weird like that. :P**

**"Cool Kids" is a song by the band Echosmith. It's got an interesting bass riff (not like "All About That Bass", thank you) and some cool synth notes. I've tried to pull it off on my guitar before, but I don't think I'm putting up an acoustic cover anytime soon. **

**Anyway, if you liked it, hated it, or wanted to throw tomatoes at it, review and let me know! :) **

**Again, I have no idea where that came from. :/**


	11. A Sky Full of Stars

**I just realized that tomorrow, I will have hit the halfway point of the intended length of this story (twenty-five chapters). This brings us to the question: do you want the story to be extended? Review, PM me, or vote in the poll on my profile and let me know your thoughts. Or, if you want, you could just do all three. :)**

**I'm scared for my feels right now. In half an hour, the two-part finale of Doctor Who will begin. I will most likely cry and scream and yell at the telly, and I have a feeling my feels will be in shambles by 9:30. So, to steel myself against the horrible things that will probably happen to my heart, I have written a light and happy Whouffle ficlet. Enjoy! **

* * *

_"Cause in a sky, in a sky full of stars, I think I saw you."_

It was rare that Clara got to spend a Friday night doing something other than grading papers and planning assignments for her students. Early dismissal that day had left Clara with half her normal work to do, which gave her the evening off to spend however she pleased (within reason, of course).

Clara's day just got better when the Doctor showed up five days earlier than he was supposed to. Normally she would fuss if he showed up too early or too late, but she'd been planning to take a picnic supper to the park and believed he was the perfect person to share it with. To her surprise and delight, he agreed to this arrangement, domestic as it may be.

After a small row over what to pack in the basket and a food fight involving whipped cream and peanut butter, Clara and the Doctor cleaned themselves up and set off for the park. The Doctor toted the basket while Clara carried a blanket for them to sit on.

The sun was nearly below the horizon by the time Clara and the Doctor arrived. They laid out the blanket and sat down, the Doctor obviously itching to open the basket.

"I thought Time Lords didn't get hungry," Clara teased mercilessly.

"No! Yes! That's not the point!" the Doctor exclaimed, flustered and waving his hands about. "We're still living beings and we require sustenance!"

"Mm-hm," Clara clucked as she pulled a package of grapes from the basket. "I think you just want the jammie dodgers."

"No, but - now wait, hold on!" the Doctor shouted, pointing at the grapes. "I thought we agreed not to bring those!"

Clara fought the urge to giggle. "It was these or the tomatoes, remember? And you said, and I quote, 'Tomatoes make me sick'." She pretended to think for a moment. "I suppose we could've brought apples, though."

The Doctor went so pale at that suggestion that Clara burst out laughing.

There was no further argument as Clara unpacked the rest of the meal, which consisted of peanut butter sandwiches, cold chips, and yes, jammie dodgers. The Doctor eagerly reached for the unopened package, but Clara gently slapped his hand away. "Those are for dessert," she scolded playfully.

The sky above the Doctor and Clara grew darker and darker as they ate. Clara was glad she'd brought a jacket, as a slight breeze began to blow.

"Is it absolutely necessary for me to eat the grapes?" the Doctor complained, very much resembling a child at the moment.

"Nope," Clara answered smoothly, popping a grape in her mouth.

The Doctor's face lit up, and he reached for the jammie dodgers, but Clara was too quick for him. She easily snatched the package out of his grip. Her eyes twinkled. "If you want dessert," she smirked, "then you need to eat the grapes."

The Doctor's mouth snapped into a pout, and Clara simply lay back on the blanket, holding the jammie dodgers. "Just eat a handful, Doctor."

"But they taste all bitter and icky!" the Doctor whined, close to sticking out his tongue.

Clara rolled her eyes. The Doctor may have been over one thousand years old, but he was truly a child in an adult's body. "They're not bitter," she said.

"They are to me," the Doctor replied, tossing a grape into the grass when Clara wasn't looking.

Clara sighed. "Well, I'm going to go ahead and eat my dessert," she teased, tearing open the package and pulling out a jammie dodger. She took a small nibble. "Mmm," she hummed.

The Doctor bit his lip, thinking up a plan to get his jammie dodgers without having to eat the grapes. He lunged forward and tackled Clara, knocking the grapes and other uneaten food aside and making Clara squeal with surprise. Despite Clara's valiant attempt to keep the package out of his reach, he plucked it from her hand and removed a jammie dodger, triumphantly popping it in his mouth.

After the two calmed down and settled side by side together on the blanket, Clara spoke. "Let's see how many constellations we can find."

The Doctor looked up at the sky. "That shouldn't be hard, considering how many stars we can see."

"Okay," said Clara. "I see Perseus."

"Ursa Major."

"Ursa _Minor._"

"Andromeda."

"Cetus."

"Capricornus."

"Cassiopeia."

"Aquarius."

Clara squinted at the sky. "I think I see Draco."

The Doctor peered upwards. "Yes, I see it, too. Skylos."

Clara turned her face to look at the Doctor. "Skylos?"

The Doctor smirked at her. "Rexicoran constellation, but you can see it from Earth during the fall."

"We're supposed to be finding _Earth _constellations, but show me."

The Doctor pointed. "It's right between Cetus and Draco. See the outline of a dog?"

To Clara's surprise, she could see the dog. "Yeah," she said softly. "I see it."

The Doctor grinned. "Rexicora is a beautiful planet. It's a human colony, and the people there love stargazing. They even have huge parties every three months to celebrate the appearances of the seasonal constellations."

"I'd like to visit sometime," said Clara dreamily. She yawned.

The Doctor sat up. "Getting tired, are we? Come along, Impossible Girl."

The two packed up the leftovers, gathered the blanket, and walked back to Clara's flat. The Doctor even held open the door for Clara when they arrived.

Clara set the basket on her kitchen counter and turned to face the Doctor. "I had a lovely evening. Thank you."

The Doctor smiled softly at Clara and stepped forward. "My pleasure," he said, lightly kissing her forehead. "See you Wednesday?"

Clara nodded happily. "Not if I see you first."

The Doctor grinned back at her before he stepped into the TARDIS.

* * *

**"A Sky Full of Stars" is a song off Coldplay's newest album "Ghost Stories". I personally like all the piano the song contains. :)**

**Anyway, if you liked it, hated it, or wanted to light it up and watch it burn, review and let me know! And don't forget to let me know your thoughts regarding this story's extension! ;)**

**Now to wait for Doctor Who to begin and my feels to be smashed into itty bitty pieces. *deep breath* GERONIMO!**


	12. Trouble

**THE MASTER'S A GIRL! XD **

**Okay. So my prediction was correct and my feels were in shambles within the first thirty minutes - actually, first five. (I don't like Danny/Clara but that didn't mean I wanted him DEAD, for crying out loud!) And then the volcano dream and the Doctor's agreeing to help Clara even after her betrayal - I was crying. The first fifteen minutes of the episode, I cried. The next twenty minutes consisted of me going "Errrrrgggh, Doctor, push her off!" and crying some more. The next twenty minutes I spent screaming "WHAT THE FLIP!" and "CLARA, TURN AROUND! FOR THE LOVE OF GALLIFREY, TURN AROUND!" at the telly. And the last five minutes? Well, I was in hysterics. First I just kept going "What!? WHAT!? WHAT!?" and then I started laughing. I laughed so hard I started crying again. **

**MISSY THOUGH! I'm still not over it! When she said the Doctor knew her I thought she was the Rani! I seriously thought she was the Rani! And then I find out she's the Master...well, the Mistress...And she kissed the Doctor...still not over that, either. XD**

**I actually once planned a fanfic where the Doctor would regenerate into a girl and meet the Master again. And I wrote a snippet of that fanfic where the two ended up kissing. MOFFAT WROTE MY FANFIC SNIPPET AND SWITCHED THE GENDERS! THE FLIP!**

**Anyway. I'm totally sane. }:)**

**THE MASTER'S A GIRL.**

* * *

_"Ah, well if I ever caused you trouble, oh, no I never meant to do you harm."_

"You know what? I'm sorry I asked."

"Why are you sorry? You don't have to be sorry! Why do you have to be like that?"

"Like what!?"

"Taking back every little blasted thing you say because you think I don't like it!"

"I don't!"

"Oh, you should hear yourself. 'I'm sorry' this. 'I'm sorry' that!"

"Well, guess what I'm sorry for right now," Rory yelled back, grabbing his coat. "I'm sorry I married you."

That couldn't have hurt worse if Rory had physically ripped Amy's heart out. "No!" she cried. "Don't you dare walk out that door!"

Rory started to head for the door.

"NO!" Amy lunged for Rory, hysterical. She tugged on his sleeve to make him stay, but he only yanked himself away from her. "Rory, please!"

His answer was to open the door.

Amy ran out after him. "If you leave now, don't come back!" she screamed.

Rory held up his hands. "Fine!"

Amy stood on the stoop and watched him go, shrugging on his coat as he walked away from their house with the TARDIS blue door.

Away from her.

Wrenching a sharp cry from her lungs, Amy turned and ran back inside the house, slamming the door behind her. She threw herself on the couch in the living room and curled into a miserable little ball. She felt frozen. She felt as if she just couldn't cry, scream, or even breathe.

This wasn't the first time Amy and Rory had fought. They'd been having many disagreements lately, some of which turned into fights. However, they were typically able to take a few deep breaths, talk it out, and laugh about how silly they had been later.

This one was different because the problem couldn't be fixed.

Amy and Rory had been trying for another child ever since they'd built a life apart from the Doctor. Amy knew that Rory had always wanted kids, and she had eventually figured out that something had been done to her at Demon's Run that had made her unable to have any more children.

The argument had started after Rory attempted to convince Amy that they should go to see a doctor. Amy didn't want to make an appointment because once Rory found out that she couldn't have children, he would be devastated. She was holding on to hope that perhaps her theory was wrong, and she wanted Rory to have hope, too.

Obviously she hadn't gone about giving him that hope the right way.

"I'm sorry," Amy whispered. The words echoed in the empty room.

"Rory, please come back," she murmured, burying her face in her knees. Tears gathered in her eyes. "Please."

She looked up and out the window to see if he would return. When he didn't walk through the door, she let her tears fall as she rocked back and forth, releasing a silent storm. "I'm sorry," she sobbed, over and over. "I'm so sorry."

Amy didn't know how much time had passed when the sweet sound of the opening door reached her ears. "Amy?" came the even sweeter sound of her husband's voice.

Amy jumped up from the couch and sprinted into the foyer, where Rory stood taking off his coat. She leapt into his arms, holding him so tightly he couldn't breathe. "Uh, Amy?" he grunted.

"Yeah?"

"You can let go now."

Amy relaxed her hold but refused to let go. "I didn't mean that, Rory," she said before burying her head in his shoulder. "I'm so sorry."

"Hey." Rory kissed the top of her head. "I wouldn't leave you even if you wanted me to. 'Til death do us part, yeah?"

"Yeah," Amy replied softly. "'Til death do us part."

* * *

**The song was "Trouble" by Coldplay, a bittersweet piano piece that gives me chills. Of course, since the song gave me feels, the story had to follow suit. Sorry it was so short, by the way. I think I'd call this one a drabble, not a story.**

**Anyway, if you liked it, hated it, or wanted to light it up and watch it burn, review and let me know!**

**One more thing.**

**THE MASTER'S A GIRL! XD**


	13. Here I Am

**I'm pretty happy right now because at long last, I have figured out how to use Google Music Manager. And at long last, I can listen to all the awesomeness of Taylor Swift and any other artists I add without wifi. YESSSS.**

**Let me tell you, I'm going to be uploading a ton of songs to Music Manager on Christmas. Half my list consisted of CDs. **

**I learned how to do it just in time, too. Taylor decided to pull most of her Spotify catalog on Monday, which was probably a smart business decision and will hopefully raise awareness about fair cuts for artists from streaming companies. On the other hand, I was pretty upset about that. But I do understand the reasoning behind it. **

**Plus, the random playlist Spotify sent her with a "come back, we miss you" email was pretty corny. Seriously, I could've come up with a better playlist. **

**Yeah. Anyway, here's your long overdue chapter of Songs of the Stars. The song prompt was "Here I Am" by Air Supply, requested by Foxfur via PM. Enjoy!**

* * *

_"Here I am, playing with those memories again ... those thoughts of you keep taunting me."_

The Doctor shot up in bed, breathing heavily. His sheets were sticky with sweat, and he couldn't help wondering how long he'd been dreaming. He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes, but he couldn't rub away the terrible images.

"Rose," he called weakly. In his sleepy dream state, he'd forgotten that Rose was gone.

_He'd tossed and turned, groaning loudly. His hands had grabbed at the bedsheets, looking for something to hold on to. Tears had fallen from his eyes in his delirium until a voice broke through the fog. _

_"Doctor, wake up. It's a dream, I promise, it's just a dream."_

_He'd woken, his hearts racing and shoulders shaking. Rose had gathered him in her arms and held him for a while. She'd occasionally stroked his hair or whispered soothing words in his ear until he'd calmed down enough to go back to sleep. Even then she hadn't left. She'd pulled up a chair and watched over him the rest of the night. _

The Doctor's eyes became watery again, but not from thoughts of the horrors of his nightmare. He plopped back down on the bed to try to go back to sleep. It was a long time in coming.

The next morning, the Doctor decided to take a trip to the imperial court of Catherine the Great, an old friend of his and Rose's. He set the coordinates for St. Petersburg and pulled the lever to send the TARDIS into the Time Vortex. When the TARDIS landed, he leaned against the console and looked at the door to the corridor, expecting Rose to return any minute dressed for an adventure in Russia. It took a few minutes for him to remember she wasn't going to appear in a cloud of pink silk like she had last time.

_A rustling of silk had announced her appearance. "Blimey, you can hardly walk without tripping in these things," she'd complained, lifting her skirt to show him the white leather slippers. _

_The Doctor had stared as Rose straightened her skirt. She'd donned a pale pink dress that complimented the rose hue of her cheeks beautifully. Her hair had been twisted into a simple bun. She had looked up shyly, waiting for his judgment. _

_He'd grinned at her. "Rose Tyler, you look lovely," he'd said._

_"For a human?" she had asked, taking his outstretched arm. _

He would always regret the day he gave her that backhanded compliment.

After calling on Catherine and a few hours at her son Paul's birthday feast, the Doctor returned to the TARDIS feeling strangely tired. He didn't know why, as there had been no aliens to outrun and no overdose of banana daiquiris.

And he most definitely hadn't done any dancing at the birthday feast. Dancing was for him and Rose alone, ever since that fantastic night when everybody had lived.

_He hadn't liked the way Jack was staring at her - "mine," his brain had thought selfishly. So he had said the first thing that popped into his mind. "Rose! I just remembered!" he'd cried. _

_"What?" she'd asked, giving him a tongue in teeth grin. _

_"I can dance!" _

_She'd tried to protest, but no, he wasn't having that. He'd grabbed her hands and pulled her into a swing, spinning her around as if they were contestants on _Dancing With the Stars. _When Rose wasn't looking, though, he'd sent a glare Harkness' way, sending a crystal clear message: hands off the blonde._

_To Jack's credit, he'd left after a minute or two of watching the Doctor and Rose dance. Then it had been just the two of them, like it had been. The Doctor, deliriously happy, had believed he could dance with Rose all night. She hadn't put up an argument; instead, she'd looked as if she'd been having the time of her life._

The Doctor swallowed the lump in his throat for the umpteenth time that day, as he had when he turned to point out some interesting Russian monument to Rose, or as he had when Catherine had asked about her absence, or when he'd turned to ask her to dance. Just when he'd thought he'd gotten over Rose, a memory of her would pop into his mind to taunt him.

The sad truth was that the Doctor would never, ever get over Rose Tyler.

* * *

**Hope that's what you had in mind, Foxfur! :)**

**And now I have to get ready for tennis. *sigh* Well, if you liked it, hated it, or wanted to light it up and watch it burn, reveiw and let me know! And don't forget to vote on whether or not you want me to expand this story! I've gotten one yes so far and I'd kind of like a bunch of other opinions, too. Thanks, peoples! :)**


	14. Tokyo

**Here I am, once again - nope, wrong song. **

**Anyway.**

**I have a question. Does anyone know where I can watch the entire seasons of Classic Who? Netflix has only six or less episodes for eighteen seasons. I decided to watch the first Doctor last night (I like that Aztec storyline a lot.) and am eager to see more of him and Susan. So if someone could tell me, that'd be great. **

**Anyways. Carry on, and enjoy the story!**

* * *

_"Are you having fun yet, I'll send you the sunset I love the most, when I'm in Tokyo."_

The Doctor had scarcely landed the TARDIS in front of the Maitland's home when Clara skipped through the door. He was delighted to be spared from waiting. "Hello," he greeted her. "Any place catch your fancy today?"

Clara shook her head. "I was hoping you had an idea."

The Doctor studied Clara for a moment and thought of a lovely place he was positive would be in her "101 Places to See" book. His face lit up with a grin. "How would you like to visit Tokyo?" he asked, already typing in coordinates.

The elated expression on Clara's face was priceless.

When they landed, it was decided that the Doctor would wait in the console room while Clara went to go put on some traditional dress. "The Japanese are sticklers for tradition," he told her, the grimace on his face implying that he had not followed tradition before and gotten into trouble for it.

"Then why aren't you changing, too?" Clara asked, smirking.

The Doctor proudly straightened his bowtie. "Because they won't make a huge fuss about men's wear. Have you seen the variety of men's Japanese wear in the paintings? Anyway, they're not as lenient with the women yet. You know, still holding on to certain clothes and arranged marriages and all that."

Clara raised an eyebrow at the history lesson but went to change. She'd secretly always wanted to wear a kimono.

After dressing and tying her hair into a bun, Clara emerged from the wardrobe into the console room. The Doctor offered her his arm, and the two stepped forth into the bright sunshine.

Immediately Clara and the Doctor were hit with the smell of fresh fish. Vendors called out their wares, their shouts blending together in a jumble of happy voices. Clara's curious brown eyes darted back and forth as she walked, taking in as much as they could. The Doctor watched her face, eagerly awaiting her reaction.

A few girls appeared, giggling behind their fans. The Doctor and Clara stepped aside for them to pass, and the girls barely gave them a second glance, much less a thank you. The Doctor frowned. "I thought the Japanese were polite," he whispered to Clara.

Clara shrugged. "I wouldn't know," she whispered back. "But I'm sure they're just the exception."

The Doctor changed the subject, saying that he and Clara should visit a teahouse, as he was certain she must be hungry. Clara replied that she was, seeing that she hadn't eaten breakfast that morning.

The Doctor led Clara to the nearest teahouse, which was near the river. They took off their shoes at the door and left them outside. Inside, they sat cross-legged on a mat next to a low table, and the Doctor ordered some sushi and rice for the two of them.

Clara made a face. "I never did like sushi," she murmured.

The Doctor simply rubbed his hands together. "The taste grows on you," he said.

Clara didn't look convinced, but she dropped the matter.

After the meal arrived, the Doctor spent fifteen minutes attempting to pick up a piece of sushi with chopsticks, which he did not seem apt at. Clara couldn't stop herself from giggling and nearly choked on her sushi watching him.

The Doctor and Clara finished their meal (Clara still did not care for sushi, but she was able to keep herself from gagging), paid with some coins the Doctor found deep in his pocket, and went back outside into the crowds. They spent the afternoon browsing some shops. Clara ending up buying some tea to bring home, and the Doctor bought a _sugegasa, _a traditional farming hat. Clara rolled her eyes when he claimed that _sugegasas _were cool.

The Doctor and Clara's last stop was the Imperial Garden. The Doctor grinned when he saw Clara's smile as they entered and stepped onto a bridge. A cool breeze blew some blossoms off of the cherry trees, and the delicate pink petals floated into the air and skipped over the water. Some softly brushed Clara's cheek.

"It's lovely here," Clara sighed, looking down into the blue water at the reflection of the cloudless sky.

"It is," the Doctor agreed, leaning over her shoulder to look into the water. Their reflections stared back at them. The Doctor made a face at his counterpart, which prompted Clara do make a face at _him. _The two were soon making faces at each other and erupting into uncontrollable giggles.

"Excuse me," said a voice behind them.

Clara and the Doctor jumped, startled, before they turned to face a samurai. "May I see your passports, please?" he asked.

Clara sent a panicked glance toward the Doctor before he pulled out his psychic paper. "The Doctor, plus one," he said, pleased with himself.

The samurai looked at the paper, then at the Doctor. "You cannot share a passport," he said.

This time, it was the Doctor who sent a panicked glance towards Clara. "Run," he mumbled.

Clara didn't need to be told twice. She took the Doctor's hand, and they sprinted back the way they came to the safety of the TARDIS, the samurai chasing after them.

* * *

**Oh, come on. We all know the Doctor would end up getting chased even on a pleasure trip.**

**This one is set in Tokyo in the seventeenth century (when it was still called Edo), around Basho's time. I'm hoping I'm not the only one who knows who he is because I read the Magic Tree House Books when I was younger. **

**Anyway (I have come to realize I use that word too much), who's half-looking forward to, half-dreading the return of Doctor Who tonight? I am. DON'T KILL CLARA, MOFFAT, PLEASE! Seriously, if my feels were shattered last week, who knows what's going to happen this week!?**

**Well. You know the drill. Review if you liked it, hated it, or wanted to destroy it. And vote! You've got until chapter 15, doods!**


	15. A Thousand Years

**I spent the afternoon betaing a Lorax story for a friend. It was a self-insert, and my friend told me that an old crush on the Once-ler had resurfaced while she wrote the story. But everything turned out okay because my friend married the Once-ler and had two kids with him in the story. **

**Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you one reason we write fanfiction: so we can marry our favorite character(s).**

**I also spent the afternoon writing and polishing this story. The song prompt was "A Thousand Years" by Christina Perri and requested by aurina (Guest). Hope y'all enjoy! :)**

* * *

_"How can I love when I'm afraid to fall? But watching you stand alone, all of my doubt suddenly goes away somehow."_

Clara's heart beat so hard she could feel it pounding against her ribcage, and blood rushed in her ears. Her world had narrowed to just two things: the red time stream and the man to whom it belonged, writhing in agony on the ground.

"I have to go in there." She wasn't going to let the Doctor suffer, at least not alone.

Both the Doctor and River protested, but Clara's mind was made up. She kept her eyes fixed on the corrupted time stream. "If this works, get out of here as fast as you can." She swallowed the lump in her throat. "And spare me a thought now and then."

"No, Clara," the Doctor pleaded behind her.

She turned to face him. "In fact, you know what? Run," she told him, "run, you clever boy, and remember." She turned back toward the time stream. And with the image of her Doctor, happy and healthy, in her mind's eye, any doubts she had harbored fell away.

Sometimes a great leap forward requires two steps back. And sometimes, all it requires is the will to jump. Clara chose to jump. The Doctor's cries of her name was the last thing she heard before she was surrounded by fire.

Clara's life - or her many lives - flashed before her eyes. She saw herself telling the Doctor which TARDIS to steal, calling the Doctor's name as he rode past in a yellow Edwardian roadster, and falling from a cloud in Victorian London. She saw herself living a thousand lives in a thousand different places, and she somehow knew that her love for the Doctor would define her echoes as much as it defined her.

Clara didn't know how long she'd been in the time stream or how far she'd fallen, but at last she hit something solid. Her head burned with all the new memories she had obtained, and she placed her head on the ground for a moment to recover and catch her breath.

Pain rushed through Clara's body. Her head felt as if it was splitting, which it had in one of her lives. A stab of pain ran through her heart where a villian had run a sword through it in another. Her lungs constricted from lack of air, when another echo must have been in a tight space or under water. A hurting neck made it nearly impossible for her to breathe.

It was worth it as long as the Doctor was alright.

She vaguely heard the Doctor calling her name, and she panicked. He wasn't supposed to be there. He was supposed to be safe with Vastra and Jenny and Strax. She looked up to remind herself that he wasn't there and wouldn't be there any longer.

And there he was, reaching for her. "Come to me, now!" he called to her. "You can do it. I know you can."

"How?" Clara's eyes closed.

"Because it's impossible, and you're my Impossible Girl." The Doctor held out his arms, waiting for Clara. He implored her to come to him, promising that he was real and wasn't just a mirage. The desperate plea in his eyes cried out for her to come back to him.

So she did.

She picked herself up and stumbled forward, one step, two steps, three steps. A few more. One step closer and she would be with her Doctor once again.

Clara fell forward into the Doctor, who caught her and held her tightly. "Clara!" he exclaimed. "My Clara!" His hand was in her hair, and he pressed a kiss to her temple. She soaked up the warmth of his embrace and grabbed his shoulders, reveling in his closeness.

The Doctor somehow got Clara back to the TARDIS without incident and didn't let go of her until they'd reached her room. She was shaking from chills and sweating at the same time. The Doctor bid her get into her nightie while he went to get some supplies to help a fever.

When he returned, Clara was curled up in her bed, shivering. "Clara," she heard him say softly. His cool hand brushed her forehead. "Why did you do it, Clara?"

Clara looked up at him, her eyes glassy. "Why wouldn't I?"

"Because I'm not worth saving," the Doctor replied sadly. "And now you understand that better than anyone."

Clara sat up and saw the hot tea he'd set on the nightstand for her. "You're worth it to me," she said. "And you've saved so many. It's about time that, just for the hell of it, you let someone save you."

The Doctor pulled Clara into an embrace. "Don't scare me like that again," he begged. "I would never forgive myself if I lost you."

"No promises," Clara cheekily replied.

* * *

**Because I needed at least a little bit of fluff after Death In Heaven. Seriously, though! I was just like "NO, CLARA WHAT ARE YOU DOING!? DON'T LIE!" and "Oh, Doctor, I'm sorry - WELL, DON'T LIE ABOUT IT, YOU IDIOT!" Then they were sitting in the cafe and I was like "STOP LYING. YOU WANT TO TRAVEL TOGETHER FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIVES. YOU ARE MY BABIES. I KNOW WHAT IS BEST FOR YOU. NO, STOP IT. STOP IT NOW." Tears may or may not have been shed. **

**Anyway. **

**I have decided not to continue the story past chapter 25 because it doesn't seem to be y'all's desire and my updating schedule has gotten a little iffy. I'm also going to stop taking requests at chapter 20. Sorry for any inconvenience or disappointment.**

**Y'all know the drill! If you liked it, hated it, or wanted to light it up and watch it burn, review and let me know! :)**


	16. Geronimo

**I just want to warn y'all now. I have no flipping idea what my updating schedule is going to be like this weekend. I'm going to try and get some work done this afternoon, but after tonight, my weekend will be pure chaos. What's sleeping in again? I forgot. **

**Anyways. **

**So here's a little gem for you guys to read when you get home from school. Or after you wake up. But if you haven't done your homework yet, do that first. Education's important, and the story ain't going nowhere. :)**

* * *

_"So say geronimo, say geronimo, say geronimo, say geronimo."_

Clara Oswald stood up from her bent-over position and stretched. "How are we doing, team?" she asked, looking to see the progress of her two charges.

Angie Maitland wiped some leaves from her leggings. "I think we're almost done," she declared.

Artie Maitland wasn't so enthusiastic. "Not me," he groaned, gesturing to the scattered leaves that surrounded him.

Clara walked over to help Artie. "Try it this way," she offered. She made her way to Artie's designated area and began to rake the leaves from the outside of the circle of leaves.

Artie followed her lead. "It's a lot easier this way," he admitted.

Clara patted his shoulder. "You'll be finished in no time," she promised. She resumed working on her own pile.

The three worked on their respective piles in silence for a little while, leaving Clara with her thoughts. She smiled to herself as her pile grew bigger and bigger, remembering how she would help her mother rake leaves when she was younger. Clara would then jump into the pile they had created, and her mother would follow close behind.

That was just one reason Clara's favorite season was fall: she had some happy memories that had been created during the fall. She also adored the bright colors the leaves turned before they fell from the trees and the hint of wood smoke that wafted through the air. She definitely loved raking leaves. Of course, she couldn't forget that her birthday was in the fall.

Clara's reverie was broken by a sound that she'd become very familiar with over the past year. Down the road, an even more familiar blue box was materializing.

Angie and Artie threw down their rakes and ran to greet the owner of the blue box, despite Clara's protests. She rolled her eyes as she retrieved their rakes and placed them neatly beside the leaf piles.

By this time, Angie and Artie had led the Doctor back to the Maitlands' yard, chattering all the way. The Doctor looked rather overwhelmed, but he continued to ask questions about school and how Artie's class hamster was doing and what movies Angie had seen at the cinema lately. The children eagerly answered his questions and those he hadn't even asked.

When the Doctor laid eyes on Clara and the leaf piles, however, he stopped the children's prattle with a hand. He stepped forward to throw his arms around Clara. Surprised, she returned the embrace.

"How are you?" the Doctor asked.

Those who did not know what Clara and the Doctor had been through together would wonder why he poured so much emotion into such a simple, overused question. However, it was a very good question to ask, for last Wednesday, Clara had jumped into the Doctor's time stream to save him from the Great Intelligence. If they had followed the laws of time, Clara would not have returned.

But when did those two ever follow the laws of time?

Clara smiled at him. "Just fine. As you can see, I'm up and about, raking leaves and such."

The Doctor glanced at the piles of leaves. "You've been working hard," he commented, a grin spreading across his face. "I don't suppose you were planning to play in the leaves a little, were you?"

Angie and Artie perked up at that idea. "Oh, yes! Please, let's do it," they pleaded.

Outnumbered, Clara raised her hands in surrender. "We have to combine them into one pile first," she said.

The children cheered and immediately got to work. Clara, Angie and Artie raked the three piles into one. The Doctor did his best to help out by kicking the stray leaves into the pile. He also entertained them with the story of the time he'd woken up in the Hofburg Palace with no memory of how he'd gotten there. Marie Antoinette, he claimed, had helped him out of that scrape.

"And I suppose you snogged her, too?" Clara teased mercilessly. The children giggled.

The Doctor turned red. "No-no! Stop it, Clara-fine, yes, I did. But she snogged me first!" He pouted while he watched Clara and the Maitlands howl with laughter. "It's not funny! I ended up jumping out a two-story window later!" He glanced at the leaves. "Like this!"

Clara stopped laughing. "No, Doctor, don't-"

"GERONIMO!" The Doctor plunged into the leaves, scattering the leaves on top of the pile.

Artie was next. He whooped and jumped into the pile and landed next to the Doctor.

Angie took a running start before she jumped. Clara was glad the girl was wearing leggings, for her skirt flew up when she leaped into the pile.

"Your turn, Clara!" the Doctor called. The children clapped and called to Clara as well.

Clara shook her head, grinning. "It's okay," she said. "I'll watch." She believed an adult should act like one. Jumping in leaves was sort of childish, no matter how much she wanted to do it.

"Oh, no you don't," said the Doctor. He stood up in the pile and made his way out of the leaves. "You're coming, too."

It didn't take Clara long to figure out what the Doctor was doing. She backed away, breaking into a run. Unfortunately, the Doctor had done much more running than she, and he quickly caught up with her. She shrieked as he picked her up, grinning wickedly. "Put me down!" yelled a giggling Clara.

The Doctor carried Clara back to the leaves. "You sure?"

"Maybe not...?"

"Geronimo!" The Doctor gently tossed Clara into the leaves.

Clara found herself sitting up with leaves all over her clothes and hair. She frowned playfully at the Doctor. "Now you're getting it!" she exclaimed, pulling the Doctor down into the pile with her.

The kids started throwing leaves at the two of them, and Clara had forgotten all about adulthood for the moment. It erupted into an all-out play fight, with the Doctor dumping a whole handful of leaves over Artie's head and Angie tackling Clara to hold her still while she buried Clara's head under the leaves.

After all, there's no point in being grown up if you can't be childish sometimes.

* * *

**If you guys have heard "Geronimo" by Sheppard, I'm sure you know that this has almost nothing to do with the song. I just wanted to write a fic about raking leaves with the Doctor. However, I think it's a ... fall-sounding song. Am I making sense? Clear as mud?**

**Moving on.**

**If you liked it, hated it, or wanted to light it up and watch it burn, review and let me know! :)**


	17. Under the Boardwalk

**Er...'ello. Remember me?**

**Originally this chapter started as an answer to a request from Wheezzy8, who asked for a Doctor/Rose story based off of "Cosmic Love" by Florence + the Machine. While writing, I realized that there was no way I was going to set an angsty fic on a beach (for we all remembered what happened in Norway). No way. So this fluffy little oneshot was born. **

**No worries, Wheezzy8! "Cosmic Love" is on its way and should arrive in two or three chapters (hopefully two). Aurina, I'm trying to get to your request as well (I think I'm only going to write one). **

**Anyway, enjoy the fic! :)**

* * *

_"Under the boardwalk, down by the sea, on a blanket with my baby is where I'll be."_

Rose bounded into the console room as the TARDIS landed at whatever exotic destination her pilot had chosen for himself and Rose. The aforementioned pilot looked up from his beloved ship's console and grinned at Rose. "Guess what's outside those doors?" he said dramatically, attempting to look mysterious but instead looking as if he was confused.

Rose pretended to think for a moment. "Hmm," she said, tapping a finger on her chin. "It couldn't be a world where the guards arrest people for 'being pink', could it?"

The Doctor scowled. "That happened once," he complained.

"Or a world full of gigantic slugs?"

"No!" The Doctor's scowl was quickly turning into a pout.

Rose had to fight not to stare at his lips as she pretended to think some more. "Maybe a world where the main source of income is" -she paused for effect- "_pears?_"

"Now you're just being rude." The Doctor strode to the doors, eager to show Rose the place he'd picked for a relaxing, no-running day.

"And not ginger!" Rose sang out, giggling when the Doctor resumed scowling. "Alright, what is it?"

"Why don't you look and see?"

Rose cast a glance in the Doctor's direction, then reached for the door handle. She pulled the door open, took a peek outside, and gasped with delight. Before her, a world with a sparkling ocean and an endless lavender sky awaited. Rose squealed happily and threw her arms around the Doctor, who just as happily returned the embrace, before she ran off to the wardrobe to get changed.

The Doctor laughed when Rose sprinted out of the TARDIS and ran directly to the ocean. She kicked at the waves lapping at her feet while she unzipped her cover-up and threw it on the sand. Her good mood only increased when the Doctor kicked off his trainers and joined her in the shallow water.

Soon enough, Rose was wading deeper and deeper into the water. She implored the Doctor to go change in the TARDIS and join her, but he would not relent.

So Rose cooked up a plan to force him to join her.

After the Doctor sat down at the water's edge and got comfortable, Rose swam the long way around and climbed out of the water a good ten yards from where the Doctor sat. She sneaked up behind him, and when the tide came in, she pushed him forward so he fell facefirst into the water. He was a spluttering, soaking mess when he finally picked himself back up.

"W-what was _that_ for?" the pouting Doctor complained, although Rose was positive she detected a twinkle in his eye.

"You wouldn't get in the water."

The Doctor glared at Rose. "Rose?"

"Yes?"

"Run."

Rose took the hint.

The Doctor leapt to his feet and followed her. Rose whooped as she ran along the shoreline, her feet kicking up the sand. She led the Doctor on a good chase but eventually lost. The Doctor ended up tackling a squealing Rose to the ground, and they rolled over and over down the shore.

The Doctor was not happy when he stood up to find that his suit was covered in wet, sticky sand. "I hate the beach," he grumbled as Rose guffawed at his predicament.

The two made their way back to the TARDIS to clean themselves up, with the Doctor pouting most of the way. Rose, tired of his childish behavior, was finally able to convince him to go out for chips after they finished changing on the grounds that she would pay. His demeanor lit up after that.

When the Doctor had donned a new suit and Rose had slipped into a magenta sundress, they stepped out of the TARDIS and made their way to the boardwalk. It didn't take long for Rose's chip-senses to kick in and lead them to the best-smelling chip stand. Soon enough, the Doctor and Rose were sitting on a bench with their respective boxes of chips.

Rose popped a chip in her mouth before she leaned on the Doctor's shoulder. "The sunset's gorgeous," she remarked. It was, really. The planet's sun was a hot pink color, and the colors surrounding it were a mix of fuchsia, maroon, and dark purple. A yellow stripe ran across the horizon.

The Doctor grinned down at Rose. "It's almost as if the sky looked at you and said, 'Well, would you look at Rose Tyler today! I think I'm going to dress up like her tonight, all pink and yellow.' Yes, I do believe that's what happened."

Rose poked her tongue out at her Doctor. "Stop that. You're making me blush."

"Then maybe I should keep it up," the Doctor teased. "You look lovely when you blush."

Now Rose's face was burning up. "Come on, Mister. Let's get back to the TARDIS before I waste good chips and throw them at you."

The Doctor gaped Rose's outstretched hand and stood, grinning like a maniac. "Can't have that, now can we?"

"Shut up, you." But it was clear that Rose adored the teasing, if her tongue-in-teeth grin was any indication.

* * *

**Mentions of giant slugs and being arrested for being pink was borrowed from Vampiyaa's fic "Kissing Complete Strangers", one of my personal favorites of hers. If you've never read her work, go check it out. It's brilliant stuff, and Doctor/Rose shippers will love it. :)**

**"Under the Boardwalk" is a song I was raised on. It's a very summery song, so it's great to put on a beach/road trip mixtape. I would also add some Jimmy Buffet and Beach Boys to that mixtape. **

**If you liked it, hated it, or wanted to light it up and watch it burn, review and let me know! Now to go make some more tea. I drank it all. Whoops! **


	18. Photograph

**Guess what, guys! I found the TARDIS and the Doctor transported me back to November 20 at 5:11 p.m., when this oneshot should've been published!**

**And that's about as improbable as me actually updating on time, but here I am! No, I didn't find the TARDIS. Sorry. :/**

**More Whouffle is coming your way! Stay tuned, and enjoy!**

* * *

_"Look at this photograph, every time I do it makes me laugh."_

The Doctor danced around the TARDIS console, his jacket flying behind him as he flipped levers and pressed buttons. He was absolutely giddy with excitement. He'd recently found a planet where the river water tasted like custard, and he wished to take Clara to this new planet and introduce her to fish fingers and custard. He was certain that she would enjoy the unusual snack as much as he did.

The TARDIS sent the Doctor the mental equivalent of an eye roll. The Doctor frowned at this. "What?" he asked, momentarily pausing his takeoff routine.

_It's not Wednesday yet._

"So? I'm a time traveler."

_You can go tomorrow. I'm sure you can wait that long. _

"Oh, do stop scolding, old girl. Clara won't know the difference."

Another mental eye roll. _If you say so. _

The Doctor shook his head before he set the coordinates for Clara's flat and pulled one more lever.

The Doctor landed the TARDIS in one of the back rooms of Clara's flat and rushed out, leaving the door open behind him. He peeked into every doorway he passed as he searched for his companion, no matter if the door was open or closed. (He later regretted that plan of action when he came across a packed closet. Considering his luck, everything fell out.)

After cleaning his mess up as best as he could, the Doctor finally spotted Clara in her living room. A curtain of dark hair fell over her face as she studied the book in her lap. The Doctor thought it was "101 Places to See" before moving closer and discovering that the book was much too thick to be a child's.

The Doctor made his way behind Clara's chair and gently placed his hand on her shoulder. She jumped and immediately glanced behind her, pressing a hand to her chest. "Oh, it's you," she gasped. "You nearly gave me a heart attack."

The Doctor shrugged cheerfully. "Sorry. What are you looking at?" He leaned forward to get a better look.

A tinge of pink colored Clara's cheeks. "I-It's nothing, really," she stammered, her hand sliding forward to cover the page.

The Doctor was too quick for Clara and easily slipped the book from under her hands. A few pictures of a little girl graced the page she'd been on. Here was the girl holding up a fishing line with a freshwater perch on the end, and there she was putting a worm on a hook. A young woman stood behind her to help.

Clara blushed deeper as the Doctor studied the book. "Is this you?" he asked, sure he knew the answer.

"Yes."

The Doctor looked up and grinned goofily at Clara. "I think you're adorable." That got a smile.

The Doctor thumbed through the pages, passing a trip to London and a small garden Clara and the woman had planted. He saw a dark-haired man in the pictures a few times, too, but not as much as he saw the woman. He passed another trip, this one taking the Oswalds to America, and Clara's secondary school dance. He stopped there to smile at how beautiful she looked.

By this time, Clara had stood up to join him. "That was my favorite dress," she said, pointing to the picture. A younger Clara, dressed in a navy blue gown that fell to her ankles, grinned mischievously back at them. "I got so mad when I grew out of it."

The Doctor looked over at Clara, smiling at her wistful look. "You look like you got into trouble a lot."

Clara giggled. "I used to plan pranks all the time," she remembered. "Nina and I would take turns picking targets, mostly boys we thought were cute, and play pranks on them."

"Did you get caught?"

Clara shook her head. "No. Well, I do remember one time we did. We got in so much trouble that day."

"Tell me."

The Doctor and Clara ended up spending the afternoon on Clara's living room sofa, Clara telling the Doctor the stories behind the pictures in her photo album. The Doctor kept his arm around her shoulders the entire time, laughing as she told him about the time in New York when she got too excited about seeing Lady Liberty and fell off the ferry into the harbor. Then there was the time she accidentally spilled ketchup on herself on April Fool's Day and didn't have enough time to change, so Nina smeared the ketchup so it would look like blood. Every time Clara had walked into class that day, she'd pretended to be a zombie. The Doctor guffawed as she described some kids running and hiding behind their desks. "The shirt was ruined," Clara told him, "but it was well worth it."

In the end, the Doctor decided that a domestic afternoon with Clara wasn't so bad. They'd give fish custard a try another day.

* * *

**Well, who knew that Clara was a prankster in school? I have my suspicions. ;)**

**The song for today is "Photograph" by the band Nickelback. And before you start giving me those looks, I think it's a cute song about reminiscing fond memories. I may also like the acoustic guitar in the song. :)**

**If you liked it, hated it, or wanted to light it up and watch it burn, review and let me know!**


	19. Cosmic Love

**I love fall. I like raking leaves, wearing sweaters, curling up with a book in a warm and cozy chair, and eating potato soup.**

**That last one was a lie. I hate potato soup. **

**It's almost Thanksgiving (yay!) and my family volunteered to host. So while it means lots of baking and hanging out with family (including my cousins, who I never get to see), it also means loads of cleanup. Yuck. But I'm still excited anyway. What are you most thankful for at the moment? **

**It's also close to December, which means soon, my family will be decorating for Christmas! And we'll get to put up the tree, my personal favorite, and hang up the stockings (mine has a tree embroidered on it :P) and hang up the lights. After that comes Christmas caroling and a party with my youth group, so yay! And do not fear, my dear readers, for I have some lovely Christmas stories planned. You'll just have to wait and see what they are. ;)**

**Anyway. This chapter goes out to Wheezzy8, whose patience with me and her request is much appreciated. Thank you, and enjoy! :)**

* * *

_"I took the stars from my eyes, and then I made a map, and I knew that somehow I could find my way back."_

Pete Tyler stood at the workbench, tightening a part of the project. "What do you think?" he asked, holding up what they'd done to show his daughter.

Rose took it and hefted it in her hands. "Torchwood gave me a vortex manipulator we can use for parts," she said. "The only thing wrong with it is that the screen's broken so you can't input coordinates, but otherwise it's fine. I can run up to my room and get it real quick."

Pete smiled gently at his daughter. "Sweetheart, don't you think we've worked on it long enough? It's getting late."

Rose looked down at their unfinished dimension cannon. "I really wanted to hurry, Dad."

"Yes, but I'm starting to get tired. People don't do their work as well when they're tired, you know?" Rose nodded sadly. "Besides, you need some time to yourself, too. I know you want to find that Doctor of yours again, but we may not be able to make the cannon work. You know that."

Rose nodded again, a blank look on her face.

Pete wrapped an arm around Rose's shoulders. "Come on. Let's go get some dinner, yeah? Chips sound good?"

Rose knew how hard her dad was trying, but she just didn't feel like smiling. "Can you call me in when they arrive? I'm going to stay outside for a little bit."

"I can do that." Pete kissed the top of Rose's head. "Don't forget your jacket. It's chilly out."

Rose managed a weak smile as she picked up her favorite blue jacket from the back of a chair and followed Pete out of the work shed. She watched her dad go inside their home by the back door before she raced across the yard to the low stone wall that separated their property from the neighbors'. Climbing up, she settled herself on the wall with both legs dangling over the side. She'd discovered a while back that that wall was the best place to watch the stars.

It was a lovely night for stargazing, and Rose wondered absentmindedly how many people were outside with telescopes or binoculars. She, however, was searching for something different than those folks. She wasn't looking for a shooting star or a bright planet.

Rose was searching for the Doctor.

For some odd reason, Rose kept hoping the TARDIS would land in the yard, despite the fact that the Doctor had told her it was impossible for her to cross two dimensions. Sometimes she dreamed that she heard his voice, calling to her. But when she woke up, he was never there, and his voice was just that: a dream.

Rose squinted at the sky. She could swear that, if she looked hard enough, she could see the Rosette Nebula, known as Caldwell 49 to NASA. She tilted her head, remembering the day the Doctor had taken her to see it up close. They'd made chips, spread a blanket in front of the TARDIS doors, and had a picnic.

_"It really does look like a rosette," she said, popping a chip into her mouth._

_The Doctor raised his eyebrows. "Enh, I suppose," he said, studying the nebula. "I call it the Rose Nebula." _

_Rose had giggled. "And why is that?"_

_"Well." The Doctor drew out the word, as he liked to do. "Because it's pink and yellow, like you."_

_"Stop that," Rose had said, chomping on another chip. "Flattery will get you nowhere."_

_The Doctor tossed a chip into his mouth. "Sure about that?"_

_Rose shrugged. "'M not that gullible."_

_The Doctor raised an eyebrow. "What if I said you were the most beautiful girl in the universe?"_

_Rose blushed, hoping he wasn't just teasing her and actually meant that one. "I'd say ta."_

_"Oh, come now. Wouldn't you want to give me a thank you snog?"_

_"You're an idiot sometimes," she teased. _

_"Rose, you wound me! Surely you don't mean that."_

_"Yes, I do."_

_"No!"_

_"Oh, yes."_

Rose stared at that bright light she believed was the Rosette Nebula, wondering if the Doctor was visiting its twin in the prime universe. A tear slipped unbidden from her eye."I'm coming back soon, Doctor. I miss you," she whispered, as if he could hear her from a universe away.

* * *

**I'm not really sure if this is what you were hoping for, Wheezzy8 (your name makes me smile :)), but I hope you like it anyway.**

**"Cosmic Love", for those who don't know, is a song by Florence + the Machine. It's a very angsty song, but the harp bits are lovely, and the song's lyrics are just amazing. If I need to look at lyrics for inspiration, I go to Taylor Swift, Billy Joel, and Florence + the Machine. Hands down, every time.**

**If you liked it, hated it, or wanted to light it up and watch it burn, review and let me know! Aurina, I promise your request will be next. Just bear with me, sweetie. :)**


	20. Boom Clap

**Okay, I feel a need to warn you that this isn't my best work. I'm extremely sorry for that, but I had to write something, and I wasn't receiving any muse at all. (This is what happens if it's mainstream music. Really.) I did my best, and I'm hoping it will at least be satisfactory. **

**The prompt was from Aurina (guest), asking for Boom Clap or Shake It Off. I chose Boom Clap. Hope y'all enjoy!**

* * *

_"Boom clap, the sound of my heart, the beat goes on and on and on and on."_

The Doctor did not fall in love. He'd learned a hard, hard lesson the last time he'd fallen for someone, and he'd resolved to remain unattached to anyone after that diaster. Of course, he still "wanted a mate", as he'd told Donna Noble, but he preferred to stay out of a real, actual relationship.

Until he met Clara Oswald.

The girl was an enigma, a strange phenomenon he couldn't puzzle out. She had multiple personalities, he'd noticed, having the ability to become a bossy control freak one minute and a sweet, compliant companion the next. It completely baffled the Doctor, who imagined that they played a game of tug-of-war at times and fought for control of whatever situation they'd gotten themselves into.

Strangely enough, he liked it.

Clara had also come to the Doctor at a time where he had nearly lost himself. He'd forgotten who he was and forgotten the feelings of love and joy after he'd lost the Ponds. Looking back on it, the Doctor was certain that he would've done something horrible to himself had Clara not come along and become the light in the Doctor's world of darkness. Filled with exhilaration and curiosity at the girl he'd somehow met twice, the Doctor had stepped back into the TARDIS, eager to puzzle Clara out.

When finally the day came that Clara stepped inside the Doctor's timestream, he was brokenhearted to see her go. Of course, despite protests, he went in after her to get her out. He nearly burst into tears at the sight of her: broken and afraid, the exact opposite of the Clara he knew. He'd had to convince her that it was truly him that begged her to come to him. She asked him how.

"Because it's impossible, and you're my Impossible Girl," he replied, desperate.

His hearts leapt as Clara stumbled forward, and great was his relief when she fell into his arms. He knew his hearts were pounding against his chest and that she most likely heard, but he didn't care. The only thing he cared about was getting her out of the timestream.

Then came the long, sleepless night at Clara's bedside. He pressed cool cloths to her forehead to keep her temperature down, and he tucked the covers around her when she shivered so much her teeth chattered in her sleep.

That wasn't even the worst part. About halfway through the night, Clara started to cry out in her sleep. She thrashed about, kicking off the covers and gesturing wildly in her delirium. The Doctor's hearts clenched as she cried out his name over and over again, and tears ran down his face when she started to sob. He gathered her into his arms, holding her close and whispering to her in Gallifreyan as she cried. Finally she calmed down and fell back to sleep.

The Doctor didn't let go the entire night.

It was that moment, he supposed, when he figured out she loved him. He felt stupid for not realizing it earlier and confessing to her how much he returned the sentiment.

He would tell her in the morning, he promised himself.

He would tell her that he loved her.

* * *

**Just a reminder that I will be taking no more prompts. Sorry. **

**I'm also sorry for the horrible timing of this chapter. I have been extremely busy slaving around the house, so I have had barely any time to myself. I think it'll be worth it when I dig into that pumpkin pie tomorrow, though. Happy Thanksgiving, peoples of the earth!**

**Remember, if you liked it, hated it, or wanted to light it up and watch it burn, review and let me know! :)**


	21. The Hamsterdance Song

**Well, who else stuffed themselves yesterday? And who else enjoyed relaxing and eating good food with their family? Hopefully I'm not the only one.**

**Now we can think about Christmas! :) I'm already planning the perfect gifts for my best friends and family. I know exactly what to get one of my friends, but I'm not sure about the other. However, I think that's the best part of picking out presents: thinking about exactly what to get that special someone. (It's certainly not wrapping. Bleh.)**

**Anyway (I need to quit using that word), without further ado, I present Chapter 21 of Songs of the Stars! Hope y'all enjoy!**

* * *

_"Just stomp your feet and clap your hands...now spin around and feel the groove."_

One morning over breakfast, when Rose expressed her desire to go roller skating, the Doctor was more than happy to indulge her. He was especially excited since he'd never been roller skating before.

Rose was appalled when the Doctor confessed this fact after landing them outside a roller rink in 2001. "_Never?_" she almost shrieked. "All of time and space, and you've never been roller skating!?"

"Never really had an interest in it," the Doctor stated. He shrugged.

"Then you're in for a treat," Rose promised, slinging the skates she'd found in the TARDIS wardrobe over her shoulder. "Ready?"

"I suppose." The Doctor followed Rose's lead and slung his own skates over his shoulder.

Rose turned to give him a smile, then stopped. "You've gotta lose the coat," she said.

Now it was the Doctor's turn to be appalled. "But I like the coat," he pouted.

Rose tilted her head. "It's your first time roller skating and you want to wear a long coat that flies out behind you. What d'you think it's gonna do to your balance?"

Seeing her point, the Doctor grudgingly slipped off his coat and laid it on the jump seat.

"That's better," Rose gave her approval. "Ready to go?"

The Doctor grinned. "Allons-y, Rose Tyler!"

"That's what I like to hear," Rose giggled, opening the door of the TARDIS.

Inside the roller rink, the lights were dimmed, and a disco ball spun above the rink. People shouted to each other, struggling to be heard above the loud music. The Doctor paid with a few American bills he found in his pocket, and Rose led him to a bench to sit down and tie on their skates.

"It looks crowded," the Doctor observed, glancing up from his skates.

Rose laughed. "It won't look so crowded when we get out there. Trust me."

The two finished, and the Doctor stood up. "Whoa!" he said, nearly slipping on the floor. He caught his balance and reached for the nearest solid object, which happened to be the wall separating the rink from the rest of the room.

Rose laughed. "Need some help?"

"No!" the Doctor insisted. "'Course not!" He walked forward, one hand on the wall as he tried to get his balance, to prove his point.

Rose shrugged, but her eyes twinkled. "If you say so." She skated toward the entrance of the rink and stepped into the crowd of other skaters. The Doctor followed, slowly becoming more confident on his feet.

After a while, the Doctor glided along on the waxed floor and searched for Rose. Finally he spotted her, hands behind her back and a grin on her face. The lights from the disco ball caught in her hair, making it look as if stardust had settled there. The Doctor smiled at her obvious contentment as he skated faster to catch up with her.

By the time the Doctor had skated to Rose's side, she'd started skating backwards. "I've got a dare for you," she called to him over the music.

"Oh, really? What is it?" he asked, interested.

"I'll bet you ten quid you won't dance to the next song." At his astonished face, Rose laughed. "'M not asking for a waltz! Just do a hula move or a disco move or something."

"The entire song?"

"Yup."

The Doctor considered this. "All right," he agreed. "Ten quid, then."

"Deal." They shook on it.

A minute later, an odd, squeaky voice came on over the sound system. The Doctor's jaw went slack while Rose doubled over in laughter. "You've got to be kidding me," the Doctor groaned, for it was an incredibly cheesy song relatively well known in the early 2000s called The Hamster Dance.

"Still doing it?" Rose asked through her giggles.

The Doctor scowled and started to dance.

Rose guffawed as she watched the Doctor perform his little disco move, a scowl still contorting his face and knitting his eyebrows together in a manner that looked incredibly painful. "Don't forget to follow the instructions in the middle of the song!" Rose sang out, laughing even harder at him.

The Doctor did not like that reminder one bit.

Those three minutes of "bouncing to the beat" and "spinning around" felt more like three years to the Doctor, who was certain every person in the rink was laughing at him (which was not true, although he did receive a few odd looks). However, it was only Rose that was close to crying from laughter.

When the song at last ended, the Doctor returned to Rose. "Hand it over," he demanded, too grumpy for getting sidetracked. Rose complied and placed the quid in his hand, still giggling. "It's not funny!"

"Yes, it was. That was worth ten quid any day," Rose said with a tongue-in-teeth grin.

The Doctor huffed. "Remind me never to make a bet with you again."

"Not a chance," Rose replied, waving as she skated off, the Doctor grimacing after her.

* * *

**DON'T JUDGE MY CHOICE OF SONGS. PLEASE.**

**Maybe it made you laugh? Maybe? Can anyone else see the Doctor and Rose going roller skating?**

**In case y'all are interested, my good friend TARDISOfDoom has created a Doctor Who roleplay forum. It's kind of based off of my forum Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue, but my forum died because we needed the Doctor a lot of the time, and katierosefun (who played the Doctor for that forum) was very busy. Plus there were only three people playing. **

**Anyways, this is the link: forum/Spoilers-A-Doctor-Who-Roleplay/163603/ You can make an OC or audition for a canon character. We hope to see y'all there! :)**

**If you liked it, hated it, or wanted to light it up and watch it burn, leave a review, please! :)**


	22. Better Left Unsaid

**I'm going to try and get all three remaining chapters after this posted on time, but it's going to be tough because it's Christmas production week at my church. While I'm excited, I'm already exhausted. Last night was a dress rehearsal, and there's another dress rehearsal tonight. *sigh* Things like this can be kind of annoying. **

**Anyway, here's Chapter 22! Hope y'all enjoy! :)**

* * *

_"I swore that I would never say 'I miss you more every day', but some things are better left unsaid."_

Wednesday morning had been lovely, with Clara's English students being quiet little angels, and essays to grade that were actually enjoyable for once. (Maybe Clara should allow the students to pick their own topic more often.) Even the Doctor seemed to be in a good mood, showing up on time and greeting Clara with a smile.

"I believe it's your turn to pick a destination, Miss Oswald," the Doctor said as the TARDIS doors closed behind Clara.

Clara decided to feed the Doctor's enormous ego, for her good day had put her in a good mood as well. "How could I _possibly _pick somewhere awesome when you know all the best spots to visit?" she said coyly, throwing him a flirtatious smile.

Surprise registered on the Doctor's face for only a second before slipping away and morphing into a grin. "I won't say no to that," he replied. "How does the resort planet of Eden Prime sound?"

Clara reached for the TARDIS console out of habit, then dropped her hand. "Let's go!"

The Doctor pulled at a few levers, and they were off. The wheels above them began to turn as the TARDIS wheezed and groaned its way through the Time Vortex. Finally, after she landed with merely a small _thump_, the Doctor dramatically gestured to the doors. "Step outside and feast your eyes on the most beautiful resort planet in time and space," he said, equally dramatically.

Clara shook her head and giggled as she made her way to the doors and threw them open. She was pleasantly surprised to find that the Doctor had gotten better at driving since his regeneration and had landed them on a planet with white beaches and a sparkling ocean in the distance.

And so began Clara's most relaxing trip with the Doctor yet.

Later that evening, after a dip in the ocean, a game of mini golf, and an accidental splash in the resort pool, the Doctor and a sopping wet Clara sat in some chairs at the bar. The bartender handed Clara a margarita and the Doctor a banana daiquiri. Clara laughed at his choice of drink. "You could regenerate a hundred times and never lose your love of bananas," she observed.

The Doctor squinted at the blue paper umbrella stuck in his drink before tossing it away and raising an eyebrow at Clara. "It's not my fault I have good taste," he teased.

Clara rolled her eyes and sipped her margarita.

The Doctor stood and held out the hand that wasn't holding the daiquiri. "You won't want to miss the sunset. It's like an explosion in the sky," he said.

Clara took his hand. "I'm sure I'll be blown away."

The Doctor laughed, and the two went to the beach to watch the sunset.

The Doctor was right. On Eden Prime at sunset, the sky burst into an interesting array of colors that seemed to swirl about. Clara felt as though she was watching a fireworks show as she watched ribbons of dark orange, magenta, lavender, and mint green curl around the sun while the sky darkened above. It also lasted about thirty minutes, enough time for Clara to work up the courage to place her head on the Doctor's shoulder. He didn't push her away like she thought he might have and instead put his arm around her.

When the stars began to appear in the sky, the Doctor stood and made some excuse to get back to the TARDIS. Clara was feeling rather tired and didn't argue, instead following him back to the blue box.

Clara changed out of her beach attire while the Doctor piloted the TARDIS back to London. She returned to the console room to find the Doctor waiting for her at the console, looking deep in thought. She coughed quietly to get his attention.

At Clara's cough, the Doctor's head snapped up. "We're in your living room," he said hurriedly. He cleared his throat.

Clara stepped forward and threw her arms around the Doctor, who stumbled in surprise but put his arms around her once he regained his balance. "Thank you," she said, cherishing the hug, for she knew that she may never receive another. "I had a wonderful evening." Before she could change her mind, she pressed a kiss to the Doctor's cheek.

Clara had shut the doors behind her when the Doctor finally registered what she'd done. He brushed his cheek with his fingers, smiling a little and blushing like a schoolboy. Then he burst into laughter. "How's THAT for a date, P.E.!" he shouted with glee to no one in particular.

For a moment, the Doctor considered following Clara into her flat and kissing her cheek right back. His initial glee, however, quickly died down, and the Doctor lost his grin. Turning back to the console, he decided that Clara could never know how much he wanted their evening to be classified as a date, or how he felt about her.

It was easier and better for the both of them, he decided, if she never found out. Some things were better left unsaid.

* * *

**I originally made this one a little bit angstier, but then I decided, "Give them what Moffat won't". What I mean by that is that Moffat would allow the Doctor to ruin a perfect day, then he and Clara would walk away frustrated and hurt. I've frankly had enough of that.**

**"Better Left Unsaid" is a song by Ariana Grande. It's got a pretty bell-like sound that goes well with Ariana's soprano voice. I think that I'd attempt a cover of it if it didn't have that lyric about being drunk. My mum lets me listen to whatever I want but keeps tabs on what I'm covering. It does get frustrating at times, but I do understand why.**

**If you liked it, hated it, or wanted to light it up and watch it burn, review and let me know! ;)**


	23. Why Oh Why

**I told you my schedule was going to be iffy. I'm sorry.**

**On the bright side, the last performance was finished tonight, and I'm halfway through tomorrow's oneshot. (This would've been posted last night if I could've gotten the printer to work.) So maybe that can, um, persuade y'all not to murder me? **

**Anyways, enjoy the chapter! :)**

* * *

_"You ask me why I look so sad, but I find the words to say."_

Clara sat at a table outside a coffee shop in Glasgow, Scotland, a thoughtful look on her face. The Doctor was inside the shop, getting her a hot chai tea and himself a black coffee, which would seem normal.

However, it was as far from normal as it could get.

The Doctor inside the shop was not the Doctor she once knew.

Less than twenty-four hours ago, the Doctor with floppy hair, a goofy smile, and an odd love of bowties had suddenly vanished. In his place was left a grumpy Scottish man with kidneys of an unfavorable color and eyebrows that made him seem to scowl constantly. What Clara couldn't understand was how one man could become so different so quickly.

The phone call she'd received from the Doctor - the floppy-haired, bowtie-wearing Doctor - had just made her feel worse. That Doctor had known how to make her feel better about a situation such as regeneration. This Scottish Doctor didn't even care how she felt. He simply went off to have an adventure, expecting

her to totter along behind him as she always had, thinking nothing had changed, expecting her to help him solve the mystery, stand her ground, and stop the villian, all while taking care of herself and her turbulent emotions.

Well, she took that back. He'd saved her from the droids in London.

But the rest of the adventure, that's how he'd behaved. And while Clara was willing to accept the new face and whatever odd quirks would present themselves, she wasn't so willing to accept any dismissive behavior from him towards her.

"Your tea is served, m'lady."

Clara snapped out of her thoughts at the Scottish burr coming from her left. The owner of said Scottish burr balanced two coffee cups in his hands as he seated himself in the chair across from her and handed her the tea. "Don't burn your hands. I'd hate to have to patch you up in the infirmary," he said.

Clara nodded to acknowledge his comment and took a sip of the tea, careful not to burn her tongue. "Mm," she hummed with appreciation. "This is delicious."

The Doctor's face brightened at Clara's approval. He proceeded to take a sip of his coffee, promptly spitting it out. Clara jumped at the sudden action and stared at him with wide eyes over the rim of her cup. The Doctor wiped his mouth with the back of his wrist. "Needs some sugar," he explained when he noticed his companion staring. He pushed his chair back - loudly - and stalked back inside for some sugar.

Clara, once again alone with her thoughts, watched him go. She had to admit, she did like some aspects of this new Doctor. She liked his fashion sense - the coat and the white shirt were very classy in her opinion. She liked how, instead of floundering around, he was able to take control of a situation in a flash.

She'd never admit it, but she also liked his hair. It looked so soft and silky, and she wanted to run her fingers through it whenever she got close enough.

"A penny for your thoughts, Miss Oswald?"

Clara jumped for the second time, the Doctor startling her. He'd sat back down and was now sipping his coffee, and she'd been too wrapped up in her own world to notice. She flashed him a smile to cover the flush that had just begun on her face. "Don't think I could give them to you now that you've scared them away," she said.

The Doctor raised an eyebrow. "I doubt I scared them all away, given how deep you were in thought," he said. He sipped his coffee.

Clara studied the Doctor's face and thought about what to tell him as she slowly sipped her tea. "It's just..." She sighed. "Why did you have to change?"

The Doctor put down his cup and stared at his companion. "Clara, we've been through this. Would you rather have been stranded on Trenzalore because I wasn't around to fly the TARDIS?"

"No, no, it's not like that! It's just, why?" Clara rested her face on her hand. "I just don't understand. Why would regeneration have to change your personality as well as your face? I can get used to a new face, but a new personality is harder to adjust to."

The Doctor considered this, still staring at Clara for so long she started to fidget. "Regeneration means a complete rewrite of your cells," he tried to explain. "It would be logical to assume that the personality would be rewritten just as the brain would be rewritten."

"But someone's personality isn't made up of cells," Clara reminded him. "Therefore, regeneration would not affect your personality."

The Doctor wracked his brain for a minute, nearly panicking when he couldn't come up with a good explanation - knowing Clara, he may as well give her the answer now - and finally deciding to tell her the truth: he didn't know. He laid a hand over hers. "I actually don't understand it myself," he murmured, "but what I do understand is that I changed, and there's nothing I can do about that."

Clara stared back at the Doctor for a few moments. The Doctor had to turn away. "What's going on with your eyes?" he asked. "Don't do that with the eyes! You look so pitiful!"

That earned a laugh from Clara. "Sorry," she said. She lifted a hand to her eye and flicked something away. "I don't mean to."

The Doctor's hearts raced as he asked, "So? Are you staying on board or would you like to go home?"

Clara tilted her head. "Leave you? Why would I do that?"

The Doctor awkwardly motioned to himself.

Clara smiled. "I wouldn't leave you because of your looks, Doctor. I'm not that shallow. I will, however, have trouble adjusting to your new personality. I am human, after all."

"I'm still the same man, Clara. Remember that."

"I know you are, Doctor. You just proved it."

Only then did the Doctor realize that the something Clara had wiped from her face was a tear and that he was still holding her hand, just as the eleventh Doctor would've done. So, although it startled him, he wasn't too surprised when the two stood up from their chairs and Clara embraced him, just as she would've embraced the eleventh Doctor.

Because even though he'd changed, he was still the same man. And if Clara could remember that, then it would be that much easier to remember who he was, and who he used to be.

* * *

**Was that confusing for anyone else? I kept having to rewrite it because I was confusing myself. :/**

**"Why Oh Why" is a Europop song by A Touch of Class (ATC), one of my personal favorite Europop acts. I also like their songs "I'm In Heaven (When You Kiss Me)" and "New York City". **

**Come to think of it, there's a lot of songs about New York City. Weird.**

**If you liked it, hated it, or wanted to kill me for taking so long, review and let me know! Just please don't give me a virtual punch in the face, cause that wouldn't be pleasant.**


	24. Another's Arms

**Did anyone else watch Lifetime's **_**The Red Tent, Part 1 **_**last night? I actually wallowed in feels when I went to bed last night. Poor Dinah.**

**I also didn't know Dinah was pronounced DEE-nah. I always thought it was DIE-nah. Was I the only one who's been pronouncing it wrong for basically my entire life?**

**Hm. I just realized how weird this author's note is. **

**Pretend you didn't read that. Here's Chapter 24!**

* * *

_"That's just torture to me, another's arms, another's arms."_

The Doctor was walking around Coal Hill School, scanning the place with his sonic screwdriver when he should've been doing his temporary caretaker job cleaning and dusting and mopping.

Oh, how he hated this job.

Suddenly as he turned the corner, the Doctor heard giggling. He would've brushed it off as two teenagers sneaking a kiss before class if that giggle hadn't been so familiar.

That was Clara's giggle.

The Doctor decided to investigate. He quietly made his way to the corner of the corridor and peeked his head around to see what Clara was giggling about.

There he saw Clara playfully swatting her boyfriend's chest as he leaned in for a kiss on the cheek, his arms around her waist. "Danny, stop," she pleaded, though the Doctor could tell she didn't mean it. "I'm going to be late."

"So am I," P.E., as the Doctor had taken to calling him, replied, "but you don't see me complaining."

"Danny, really," Clara said. She accepted a peck on the lips before she continued. "We're both going to lose our jobs if you keep carrying on like this."

Danny sighed loudly. "Fine," he drawled.

"Good boy," Clara teased. After one more chaste kiss, Clara wiggled out of Danny's embrace and started off down the hall, eager to get to English class. Danny followed, as his math class was down that way as well.

The Doctor scowled after them. He'd just found one more reason to dislike P.E.

He'd also found one more reason to dislike himself. Stupid, _stupid _Doctor. He'd let that stupid P.E. get to Clara before the Doctor could. Because he'd pushed her away. Because he'd made her mad. Because he'd acted indifferent towards her. Because he'd lied to her and acted as if he didn't love her at all. And now he was suffering the consequences, watching her laugh and enjoy being in another's arms.

Stupid, stupid, stupid.

The Doctor couldn't concentrate on his work for the rest of the day after witnessing Clara and P.E. in the corridor. He kept reading numbers on his sonic wrong because of the thin lines of crimson in his vision. He also dropped his cleaning supplies repeatedly, for his hands trembled and prevented him from obtaining a solid grip on the handle of a broom or the neck of a bottle of cleaning spray.

By the time the bell rang for the end of school, the Doctor was a grumbling, scowling mess. He shoved his cleaning cart into the closet with a bang and slammed the door shut as the crowd of students ran for the exits behind him. He rolled his eyes. Why young people would rather go out and party and - he shuddered - _socialize _than learn everything they could possibly learn was beyond him.

The Doctor turned around to find a hiding place from the horde of students and promptly crashed into Clara. At the sight of her, his fists clenched, thinking of seeing her with P.E.

He must have scowled too, for Clara noticed something was off. "Wake up on the wrong side of the bed this morning, Doctor?" she asked with a teasing note in her voice.

The Doctor scowled even more at that. "Time Lords don't need sleep," he grumbled.

Clara raised her hands in mock surrender. "Goodness, you're grumpy."

The Doctor grabbed Clara's hand. "Come along, Clara. We're getting out of here."

Clara gaped. "Doctor, you can't just drag me out of the school! I have papers to grade and - whoa!"

The Doctor ignored Clara's protests, tugging her through the corridors and out of the school. He eventually began to pull so hard that Clara cried out. "Doctor, stop it! You're hurting me!"

The Doctor stopped abruptly and dropped Clara's arm. He whipped around to see Clara rubbing her lower arm, where a slight bruise had formed. He was horrified at himself. "Clara, I'm so sorry," he murmured. He reached for Clara's arm to inspect it.

Clara was compliant, but that didn't come without a price. "Now tell me why on earth you decided to drag me out of school and why you look like you just destroyed a fleet of Daleks."

The Doctor hated it when she asked questions he didn't want to answer. He couldn't very well tell her _I saw you with Danny before class and I'm angry because you looked happy to be with him instead of me and now I want to take you as far away from him as possible. _

He couldn't say that because it was his own fault.

Satisfied that Clara's arm was fine, he let go and turned around. "Bad day," he mumbled. "Wanted to go somewhere to take my mind off it."

Clara was almost ready to go back inside, but she stopped. "You wanted me to go along so badly you dragged me out of school?"

The Doctor struggled not to blush like a schoolboy. "Well, yes."

Clara smiled. "If it means that much to you, I guess I can come along for a little while."

The Doctor couldn't help the smirk on his face. He definitely wasn't going to remind her that she'd planned a date with P.E. tonight. Instead, he took her hand and started to run back to the TARDIS, Clara following close behind. All the while, he revelled in the knowledge that she'd forgotten all about P.E. when he'd mentioned having a bad day.

He should drag her out of school more often if this was going to be the end of the day.

* * *

**More Whouffaldi for y'all. Actually, it's more for me, cause I will go down with this ship. **

**I liked that the last chapter was well received. Thank you for all your opinions and reviews! Some believed that the conversation about regeneration should've been included in "Deep Breath", and one person said that there has never been a companion that asked about regeneration outright. I think if there would be one to ask, it would be Clara. She's very logical and persistent about things. **

**If you liked it, hated it, or wanted to light it up and watch it burn, review and let me know! :)**


	25. Everybody Talks

**Well. I can hardly believe I'm actually marking this story as complete. (Maybe because the last multichapter story I wrote started in 2013 and didn't get finished until the same time in 2014.) Sad as I am about this story ending, I've started working on a plot for a Whouffle or Whouffaldi AU (haven't decided yet) and begun thinking about Christmas stories. So you can watch for those. :)**

**I'll say my official thank yous at the end, but for now, here's Chapter 25. Enjoy!**

* * *

_"Never thought I'd live to see the day when everybody's words got in the way."_

Clara opened the door to see the Doctor standing on the Maitlands' doorstep. His smile was contagious, and she couldn't help grinning back at him. "Do you want to come in for a minute?" Clara asked. "I've got another souffle in the oven that'll be done in a jiffy."

"Ooh, souffles." The Doctor stepped inside and rubbed his hands together. "I do like souffles."

"It's a chocolate one." Clara led the Doctor into the kitchen, where he promptly began to look around, picking up pots and pans and generally making a racket.

The loud noises were distracting to Angie, who was doing homework at the table. "Hey, can you stop that? I get that you're Clara's boyfriend, but some of us have things to do."

The Doctor dropped the spoon he was inspecting with a loud clatter and was answered with a glare from Angie. "I'm not Clara's - we're not-!"

"Doctor," Clara interrupted sweetly. "Why don't you go sit in the living room and I'll make you a cup of tea?" The timer on the oven went off. "And there's the souffle!"

The Doctor watched as Clara grabbed a hot mat, opened the oven, and leaned in to take out the souffle. Her grin dropped as she straightened, another sunken souffle cradled in her hands.

Angie looked up from her homework. "Guess it was too beautiful to live, Clara."

"I'm sure it tastes delicious," the Doctor said, trying to comfort Clara. He turned and rummaged around in the drawers until he found two forks. By then, Clara had placed the poor souffle on a cooling rack. She accepted the fork the Doctor gave her and gestured for him to take the first bite, which he did. He chewed, then nodded. "It's delicious."

"Really?" Clara tried it herself. "Mm, that is good!"

"Let me try." Angie stood up, grabbed another fork, and tasted it. "Slightly burnt, but still good."

The three proceeded to eat the souffle, laughing when their forks got stuck in each other. The Doctor ate his share of the souffle with gusto, and Clara giggled when he stuffed too much in his mouth and got souffle all over his face.

So concerned were the Doctor and Clara with laughing and grabbing napkins that neither of them noticed when Angie pulled out her phone and snapped a picture of the two of them clearing the souffle from the Doctor's face.

A week later, Clara was sitting on the couch waiting for the doorbell to ring when her phone beeped. She picked it up to see if it was a text from her dad or Mr. Maitland, but it was simply a notification from Facebook. She went to clear it when she saw that Angie had tagged her in a photo.

She frowned. Angie didn't take pictures of them together.

So Clara decided to investigate. She tapped the notification and waited for the photo to load. When it did load, she nearly shrieked.

It was a picture of last week when Clara, the Doctor, and Angie were eating a souffle. Clara was laughing as she dabbed a napkin on the Doctor's chin where he'd accidentally gotten souffle on his face.

And there were several comments saying what a cute couple she and the Doctor were.

Of course, at that moment was when the doorbell rang. Clara stood and went to open it. The Doctor stood there grinning back at her until he saw her face. "Clara, what's wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost," he said.

Wordlessly, Clara handed the Doctor her phone.

The Doctor glanced at the picture, then looked at the comments. He too paled. "But-but we're not-"

"And you know how things are on the Internet," Clara said.

The Doctor visibly shuddered. "At least it wasn't Twitter," he said.

Clara's eyes widened. "Angie has a Twitter account."

The Doctor looked like he was going to be sick. Clara ran to find the laptop, which was sitting on the counter. The Doctor looked over her shoulder as she booted the laptop up and looked up Angie's Twitter account. She scrolled through Angie's pictures and tweets until she found what she was hoping not to find.

"Can those be deleted?" the Doctor asked.

"They can on Facebook. I don't know about Twitter." Clara stood and went to the bottom of the stairs. "Angie! You've got some explaining to do!" she called. The Doctor stood behind her, his arms crossed and an Oncoming Storm look on his face.

Angie peeked her head around the corner, a sheepish look on her face.

* * *

**Uh-oh, Angie's in trouble. :P**

**Hopefully that ended on a rather humorous note. I wouldn't know. I've been told I know nothing of humorous comments.**

**I'd like to say thank you to everyone who reviewed, favorited, and followed. I smiled every time an email alert came in, so thank you for the many smiles (and giggles. A lot of reviews made me giggle). Thank you for putting up with my stupid journal entries and weird hypothetical questions and odd thoughts. Y'all are awesome. :)**

**You know the drill. If you liked it, hated it, or wanted to light it up and watch it burn, review and let me know, and I'll see you next time! Love ya, peoples of the earth!**


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